Showing papers by "Jacopo Buongiorno published in 2012"

Measurement and Model Validation of Nanofluid Specific Heat Capacity with Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Abstract: Nanofluids are being considered for heat transfer applications; therefore it is important to know their thermophysical properties accurately. In this paper we focused on nanofluid specific heat capacity. Currently, there exist two models to predict a nanofluid specific heat capacity as a function of nanoparticle concentration and material. Model I is a straight volume-weighted average; Model II is based on the assumption of thermal equilibrium between the particles and the surrounding fluid. These two models give significantly different predictions for a given system. Using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), a robust experimental methodology for measuring the heat capacity of fluids, the specific heat capacities of water-based silica, alumina, and copper oxide nanofluids were measured. Nanoparticle concentrations were varied between 5 wt% and 50 wt%. Test results were found to be in excellent agreement with Model II, while the predictions of Model I deviated very significantly from the data. Therefo...

Bubble nucleation on nano- to micro-size cavities and posts: An experimental validation of classical theory

Abstract: Recently reported data suggest that bubble nucleation on surfaces with nano-sized features (cavities and posts) may occur close to the thermodynamic saturation temperature. However, according to the traditional theory of heterogeneous bubble nucleation, such low nucleation temperatures are possible only for surfaces with micro-scale cavities. Motivated by this apparent contradiction, we have used infrared thermometry to measure the nucleation temperature of water on custom-fabricated nano- to micro-scale cavities (from 90 nm to 4.5 μm in diameter) and posts (from 60 nm to 5 μm in diameter), machined on ultra-smooth and clean silicon wafers using electron beam lithography. Our cavity data are in agreement with the predictions of the Young-Laplace equation, thus re-affirming the correctness of the classic view of heterogeneous bubble nucleation, at least for the water-silicon system investigated here. The data also suggest that individual posts of any size have an insignificant effect on bubble nucleation, ...

Convective Heat Transfer Enhancement in Nanofluids: Real Anomaly or Analysis Artifact?

Abstract: The nanofluid literature contains many claims of anomalous convective heat transfer enhancement in both turbulent and laminar flow. To put such claims to the test, we have performed a critical detailed analysis of the database reported in 12 nanofluid papers (8 on laminar flow and 4 on turbulent flow). The methodology accounted for both modeling and experimental uncertainties in the following way. The heat transfer coefficient for any given data set was calculated according to the established correlations (Dittus-Boelter’s for turbulent flow and Shah’s for laminar flow). The uncertainty in the correlation input parameters (i.e. nanofluid thermo-physical properties and flow rate) was propagated to get the uncertainty on the predicted heat transfer coefficient. The predicted and measured heat transfer coefficient values were then compared to each other. If they differed by more than their respective uncertainties, we judged the deviation anomalous. According to this methodology, it was found that in nanofluid laminar flow in fact there seems to be anomalous heat transfer enhancement in the entrance region, while the data are in agreement (within uncertainties) with the Shah’s correlation in the fully developed region. On the other hand, the turbulent flow data could be reconciled (within uncertainties) with the Dittus-Boelter’s correlation, once the temperature dependence of viscosity was included in the prediction of the Reynolds number. While this finding is plausible, it could not be conclusively confirmed, because most papers do not report information about the temperature dependence of the viscosity for their nanofluids.Copyright © 2011 by ASME

Effects of Micro/Nano-Scale Surface Characteristics on the Leidenfrost Point Temperature of Water

Abstract: In recent film boiling heat transfer studies with nanofluids, it was reported that deposition of nanoparticles on a surface significantly increases the nominal minimum heat flux (MHF) or Leidenfrost Point (LFP) temperature, considerably accelerating the transient cooling of overheated objects. It was suggested that the thin nanoparticle deposition layer and the resulting changes in the physico-chemical characteristics of the hot surface, such as surface roughness height, wettability and porosity, could greatly affect quenching phenomena. In this study, a set of water-droplet LFP tests are conducted using custom-fabricated surfaces which systemically separate the effects of surface roughness height (0-15 um), wettability (0-83) and nanoporosity (~23 nm). In addition, high-speed imaging of the evaporating droplets is used to explore the influence of these surface characteristics on the intermittent solid-liquid contacts in film boiling. The obtained results reveal that nanoporosity (not solely high surface wettability) is the crucial feature in efficiently increasing the LFP temperature by initiating heterogeneous nucleation of bubbles during short-lived solid-liquid contacts, which results in disruption of the vapor film, and that micro-posts on the surface intensify such effects by promoting intermittent liquid-surface contacts.

Effects of Micro/Nano-Scale Surface Characteristics on the Leidenfrost Point Temperature of Water

Abstract: In recent film boiling heat transfer studies with nanofluids, it was reported that deposition of nanoparticles on a surface significantly increases the nominal minimum heat flux (MHF) or Leidenfrost Point (LFP) temperature, considerably accelerating the transient cooling of overheated objects. It was suggested that the thin nanoparticle deposition layer and the resulting changes in the physico-chemical characteristics of the hot surface, such as surface roughness height, wettability and porosity, could greatly affect quenching phenomena. In this study, a set of water-droplet LFP tests are conducted using custom-fabricated surfaces which systemically separate the effects of surface roughness height (0-15 um), wettability (0-83) and nanoporosity (~23 nm). In addition, high-speed imaging of the evaporating droplets is used to explore the influence of these surface characteristics on the intermittent solid-liquid contacts in film boiling. The obtained results reveal that nanoporosity (not solely high surface wettability) is the crucial feature in efficiently increasing the LFP temperature by initiating heterogeneous nucleation of bubbles during short-lived solid-liquid contacts, which results in disruption of the vapor film, and that micro-posts on the surface intensify such effects by promoting intermittent liquid-surface contacts.

Bubble Nucleation on Nano- to Micro-size Cavities and Posts: An Experimental Validation of Classical Theory

Abstract: Recently-reported data suggest that bubble nucleation on surfaces with nano-sized features (cavities and posts) may occur close to the thermodynamic saturation temperature. However, according to the traditional theory of heterogeneous bubble nucleation, such low nucleation temperatures are possible only for surfaces with micro-scale cavities. Motivated by this apparent contradiction, we have used infrared thermometry to measure the nucleation temperature of water on custom-fabricated nano- to micro-scale cavities (from 90 nm to 4.5 um in diameter) and posts (from 60 nm to 5 um in diameter), machined on ultra-smooth and clean silicon wafers using electron beam lithography. Our cavity data are in agreement with the predictions of the Young-Laplace equation, thus re-affirming the correctness of the classic view of heterogeneous bubble nucleation, at least for the water-silicon system investigated here. The data also suggest that individual posts of any size have an insignificant effect on bubble nucleation, as expected from theory. Keywords: Bubble nucleation, superheat, artificial cavities and posts, nanosize, Young-Laplace

Convective Heat Transfer Enhancement in Nanofluids: Real Anomaly or Analysis Artifact?

Abstract: The nanofluid literature contains many claims of anomalous convective heat transfer enhancement in both turbulent and laminar flow. To put such claims to the test, we have performed a critical detailed analysis of the database reported in 12 nanofluid papers (8 on laminar flow and 4 on turbulent flow). The methodology accounted for both modeling and experimental uncertainties in the following way. The heat transfer coefficient for any given data set was calculated according to the established correlations (Dittus-Boelter’s for turbulent flow and Shah’s for laminar flow). The uncertainty in the correlation input parameters (i.e. nanofluid thermo-physical properties and flow rate) was propagated to get the uncertainty on the predicted heat transfer coefficient. The predicted and measured heat transfer coefficient values were then compared to each other. If they differed by more than their respective uncertainties, we judged the deviation anomalous. According to this methodology, it was found that in nanofluid laminar flow in fact there seems to be anomalous heat transfer enhancement in the entrance region, while the data are in agreement (within uncertainties) with the Shah’s correlation in the fully developed region. On the other hand, the turbulent flow data could be reconciled (within uncertainties) with the Dittus-Boelter’s correlation, once the temperature dependence of viscosity was included in the prediction of the Reynolds number. While this finding is plausible, it could not be conclusively confirmed, because most papers do not report information about the temperature dependence of the viscosity for their nanofluids.Copyright © 2011 by ASME

Quantitative Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (QPIRT) for Bayesian Uncertainty Quantification

Abstract: Propagating parameter uncertainty for a nuclear reactor system code is a challenging problem due to often non-linear system response to the numerous parameters involved and lengthy computational times; issues that compound when a statistical sampling procedure is adopted, since the code must be run many times The number of parameters sampled must therefore be limited to as few as possible that still accurately characterize the uncertainty in the system response A Quantitative Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (QPIRT) was developed to accomplish this goal The QPIRT consists of two steps: a 'Top-Down' step focusing on identifying the dominant physical phenomena controlling the system response, and a 'Bottom-Up' step which focuses on determining the correlations from those key physical phenomena that significantly contribute to the response uncertainty The Top-Down step evaluates phenomena using the governing equations of the system code at nominal parameter values, providing a 'fast' screening step The Bottom-Up step then analyzes the correlations and models for the phenomena identified from the Top-Down step to find which parameters to sample The QPIRT, through the Top-Down and Bottom-Up steps thus provides a systematic approach to determining the limited set of physically relevant parameters that influence the uncertainty of the systemmore » response This strategy was demonstrated through an application to the RELAP5-based analysis of a PWR Total Loss of main Feedwater Flow (TLOFW) accident, also known as feed and bleed' scenario, Ultimately, this work is the first component in a larger task of building a calibrated uncertainty propagation framework The QPIRT is an essential piece because the uncertainty of those selected parameters will be calibrated to data from both Separate and Integral Effect Tests (SETs and IETs) Therefore the system response uncertainty will incorporate the knowledge gained from the database of past large IETs (authors)« less