Nanofluids for thermal management systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9556375-B2
Application number	US-201113048217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2011
Priority date	Mar 20, 2009
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A nanofluid is generally provided for use in a heat transfer system. The nanofluid can include nanoparticles suspended in a base liquid at a nanoparticle concentration in the nanofluid of about 0.01% to about 5% by volume. The nanoparticles can include zinc-oxide nanoparticles. The nanofluid for use in a heat transfer system can, in one embodiment, further include a surfactant. Thermal management systems configured to cool a computer having integrated circuits that generate heat during use are also provided. The thermal management system can include a zinc-oxide nanofluid circulated through a series of tubes via a pump such that heat produced by electronic components of the computer can be captured by the circulating nanofluid and then removed from the nanofluid by a radiator.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A nanofluid for use in a heat transfer system, the nanofluid comprising:
nanoparticles suspended in a base liquid, the nanoparticles consisting of zinc-oxide nanoparticles, and wherein the nanoparticles have a nanoparticle concentration in the nanofluid of about 0.01% to about 5% by volume, and wherein the nanoparticles have an average diameter of about 1 nm to about 500 nm, and further wherein the nanoparticles agglomerate in the base fluid to be about 2 to about 10 times the average diameter of the nanoparticles; and
an antifoaming agent mixed with the base liquid.

2. The nanofluid as in claim 1 , wherein the antifoaming agent comprises a silicone based defoamer.

3. The nanofluid as in claim 1 , wherein the antifoaming agent comprises polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, or copolymers thereof.

4. The nanofluid as in claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle concentration is about 1% to about 4.5% by volume.

5. The nanofluid as in claim 1 , wherein the zinc-oxide nanoparticles have an average diameter of about 50 nm to about 250 nm.

6. The nanofluid as in claim 1 further comprising a surfactant.

7. The nanofluid as in claim 6 , wherein the surfactant comprises 1-dodecane sulfonic acid or a salt thereof.

8. The nanofluid as in claim 6 , wherein the surfactant has a surfactant concentration of about 0.1% to about 5% by volume.

9. The nanofluid as in claim 1 , wherein the base liquid comprises water.

10. The nanofluid as in claim 1 , wherein the base liquid comprises an antifreeze agent.

11. The nanofluid as in claim 1 , wherein the base liquid comprises a mixture of water and an antifreeze agent.

12. The nanofluid as in claim 11 , wherein the antifreeze agent comprises about 25% to about 75% by volume of the nanofluid.

13. The nanofluid as in claim 11 , wherein the antifreeze agent comprises ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, methanol, or mixtures thereof.

14. The nanofluid as in claim 1 , wherein the nanofluid is substantially free from a microbe growth inhibiting agent.

15. A thermal management system apparatus configured to cool a HVAC system during use, the thermal management system comprising the zinc-oxide nanofluid of claim 1 circulated through a series of tubes via a pump, wherein heat produced by HVAC system is captured by the circulating nanofluid and then the heat is removed from the nanofluid by a radiator.

Assignees

• Mccants Dale A
• Hayes Andrew M
• Univ South Carolina

Inventors

• Mccants Dale A
• Hayes Andrew M

Classifications

• H10W40/47

  by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling · CPC title

• G06F2200/201

  Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title

• F28F13/00

  Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing (F28F1/00 - F28F11/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• F28D15/00

  Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls {; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies (F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence)} · CPC title