Numeric and Experimental Study of CO3O4 –Water/Ethylene glycol-based Nanofluid for Car Radiator Application

Abstract

Advanced heavy-duty engines are being employed to provide a better experience to the people as technology advances. For heavy-duty engines, we can't expand the heat transfer area to enhance the heat transfer rate. Nanofluids are widely employed as a coolant in automotive radiators as a replacement for conventional base fluid to fulfil current needs for better heat transfer rates in the smallest possible heat transfer area. Co3O4 – Water/Ethylene Glycol mixture based nanofluids are employed in this work to investigate the improvement in automotive radiator performance for better cooling. The obtained results are compared to a base fluid that does not contain nanoparticles. The input temperature was maintained at 63° C, and output temperatures were monitored at varied radiator inlet flow rates and cobalt oxide volume concentrations. ANSYS FLUENT software is used to model the experimental setup, and the results are compared. The increase in heat transfer rate recorded for 0.3 vol. percent of nanoparticles at 4 lpm velocity is 29.5 percent, according to this study.