Augmenting the heat transfer performance of automobile radiators by combining surface modification and nanofluid techniques

In this study, an experimental exploration was conducted on a surface-modified fuel stack radiator to examine the heat transfer rate with nanofluids. The inner and outer surfaces of the fins and the outer surface of the tube were roughened using a shot blasting process. Nanofluids were formulated with different volume fractions, including 0.05, 0.15, and 0.3% of functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (FGNPs) dispersed in a water/ethylene glycol mixture (45:55 by volume). A remarkable improvement in thermal conductivity, enhancement up to 10.2%, was observed at 0.3 vol % of FGNPs, specifically at 50 °C. An impressive 85.3% enhancement in CHTC is observed at 40 °C inlet temperature, and MFR of 0.057 kg s –1 and 93.11% at 50 °C is noted with a loading concentration of 0.3 vol % of FGNPs. Nusselt number is enhanced by 67.07% at 40 °C and 74.12% at 50 °C.