Nanofluids are liquid/solid suspensions with higher thermal conductivity, compared to common working fluids. In recent years, the application of these fluids in electronic cooling systems seems prospective. In the present study, the laminar mixed convection heat transfer of different water–copper nanofluids through an inclined ribbed microchannel––as a common electronic cooling system in industry––was investigated numerically, using a finite volume method. The middle section of microchannel’s right wall was ribbed, and at a higher temperature compared to entrance fluid. The modeling was carried out for Reynolds number of 50, Richardson numbers from 0.1 to 10, inclination angles ranging from 0° to 90°, and nanoparticles’ volume fractions of 0.0–0.04. The influences of nanoparticle volume concentration, inclination angle, buoyancy and shear forces, and rib’s shape on the hydraulics and thermal behavior of nanofluid flow were studied. The results were portrayed in terms of pressure, temperature, coefficient of friction, and Nusselt number profiles as well as streamlines and isotherm contours. The model validation was found to be in excellent accords with experimental and numerical results from other previous studies.
Part of the book: Electronics Cooling
Exploiting nanofluids in thermal systems is growing day by day. Nanofluids having ultrafine solid particles promise new working fluids for application in energy devices. Many studies have been conducted on thermophysical properties as well as heat and fluid flow characteristics of nanofluids in various systems to discover their advantages compared to conventional working fluids. The main aim of this study is to present the latest developments and progress in the mathematical modeling of nanofluids flow. For this purpose, a comprehensive review of different nanofluid computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches is carried out. This study provides detailed information about the commonly used formulations as well as techniques for mathematical modeling of nanofluids. In addition, advantages and disadvantages of each method are rendered to find the most appropriate approach, which can give valid results.
Part of the book: Modeling and Simulation in Engineering Sciences