Nanofluids are potential heat transfer fluids with enhanced thermophysical properties and heat transfer performance can be applied in many devices for better performances (i.e. energy, heat transfer and other performances). In this paper, a comprehensive literature on the applications and challenges of nanofluids have been compiled and reviewed. Latest up to date literatures on the applications and challenges in terms of PhD and Master thesis, journal articles, conference proceedings, reports and web materials have been reviewed and reported. Recent researches have indicated that substitution of conventional coolants by nanofluids appears promising. Specific application of nanofluids in engine cooling, solar water heating, cooling of electronics, cooling of transformer oil, improving diesel generator efficiency, cooling of heat exchanging devices, improving heat transfer efficiency of chillers, domestic refrigerator-freezers, cooling in machining, in nuclear reactor and defense and space have been reviewed and presented. Authors also critically analyzed some of the applications and identified research gaps for further research. Moreover, challenges and future directions of applications of nanofluids have been reviewed and presented in this paper. Based on results available in the literatures, it has been found nanofluids have a much higher and strongly temperature-dependent thermal conductivity at very low particle concentrations than conventional fluids. This can be considered as one of the key parameters for enhanced performances for many of the applications of nanofluids. Because of its superior thermal performances, latest up to date literatures on this property have been summarized and presented in this paper as well. However, few barriers and challenges that have been identified in this review must be addressed carefully before it can be fully implemented in the industrial applications.

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A review on applications and challenges of nanofluids

Nanofluids, the fluid suspensions of nanomaterials, have shown many interesting properties, and the distinctive features offer unprecedented potential for many applications. This paper summarizes the recent progress on the study of nanofluids, such as the preparation methods, the evaluation methods for the stability of nanofluids, and the ways to enhance the stability for nanofluids, the stability mechanisms of nanofluids, and presents the broad range of current and future applications in various fields including energy and mechanical and biomedical fields. At last, the paper identifies the opportunities for future research.

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A review on nanofluids: preparation, stability mechanisms, and applications

A review of nanofluid stability properties and characterization in stationary conditions

http://www.wseas.us/e-library/conferences/2007athensmech/papers/565-198.pdf

New temperature dependent thermal conductivity data for water-based nanofluids

Researches on the nanofluids have been increased very rapidly over the past decade. In spite of some inconsistency in the reported results and insufficient understanding of the mechanism of the heat transfer in nanofluids, it has been emerged as a promising heat transfer fluid. In the continuation of nanofluids research, the researchers have also tried to use hybrid nanofluid recently, which is engineered by suspending dissimilar nanoparticles either in mixture or composite form. The idea of using hybrid nanofluids is to further improvement of heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics by trade-off between advantages and disadvantages of individual suspension, attributed to good aspect ratio, better thermal network and synergistic effect of nanomaterials. This review summarizes recent researches on synthesis, thermophysical properties, heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics, possible applications and challenges of hybrid nanofluids. Review showed that proper hybridization may make the hybrid nanofluids very promising for heat transfer enhancement, however, lot of research works is still needed in the fields of preparation and stability, characterization and applications to overcome the challenges.

A review on hybrid nanofluids: Recent research, development and applications

Stability and thermal conductivity characteristics of nanofluids

Convective heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids under laminar and turbulent flow conditions

Production and dispersion stability of nanoparticles in nanofluids

A disc-on-disc type tester was used to examine the role of fullerene nanoparticles dispersed in a mineral oil-based lubricant. In the friction test, the friction coefficient of the disc specimen immersed in the nano-oil was significantly lower than that of the disc specimen immersed in the mineral oil. This suggests that the nanoparticles dispersed in mineral oil played the important role in the lubrication enhancement of nano-oil. A series of experiments in this study were carried out to delineate the two effects [i.e., direct effect (e.g., rolling/sliding/filming) and surface enhancement effect (e.g., mending/polishing)] of nanoparticles for nano-oil-based lubrication enhancement. The disc specimens immersed in the nano-oils during the friction test was removed, and then they were re-immersed in new mineral oil for an additional friction test. The direct and surface enhancement effect of nanoparticles was then visualised by the evolution of the friction coefficient of the disc specimen immersed in the mineral- and nano-oil. The results showed that the direct effect of nanoparticles was much more dependent on the magnitude of the applied normal load than the surface enhancement effect.

Seongir Cheong

Papers

Stability and thermal conductivity characteristics of nanofluids

Convective heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids under laminar and turbulent flow conditions

Production and dispersion stability of nanoparticles in nanofluids

Understanding the Role of Nanoparticles in Nano-oil Lubrication

Performance evaluation of nano-lubricants of fullerene nanoparticles in refrigeration mineral oil