Measurement of the Thermal-Conductivity Coefficient of Nanofluids by the Hot-Wire Method

In this work, the authors present results of adaptation and testing of the hot-wire method for determination for the thermal-conductivity coefficient of nanofluids. A mathematical model of heat transfer with allowance for free convection has been constructed to elucidate the parameters of an experimental setup and the range of its applicability. The experimental procedure has been tested on measurements of the thermal conductivities of water and ethylene glycol. The thermal-conductivity coefficient of a nanofluid has been measured at room temperature. The nanofluid under study was prepared on the basis of ethylene glycol and alumina nanoparticles. The concentrations of the nanoparticles ranged from 0.5% to 2% by volume. Good agreement has been obtained between the measured values of the thermal-conductivity coefficient and the data of other authors.