IC Engine Performance Analysis for Using Nano Fluid as Coolant in Radiator – A Review

Abstract

Cooling system is one of the important systems amongst all. It is responsible to carry large amount of heat waste to surroundings for efficient working of an engine. It also enhances heat transfer and fuel economy which leads to maximize the performance of an engine. Most internal combustion engines are fluid cooled using either air or a liquid coolant run through a heat exchanger (radiator) cooled by air. The heat transfer through radiator can be improved by maximizing the heat transfer area and increasing the heat transfer coefficient. The heat transfer coefficient can be increased either by using more efficient heat transfer methods or by improving the thermo physical properties of the heat transfer material i.e. coolant.

Water and ethylene glycol as conventional coolants have been widely used in an automotive car radiator for many years. These heat transfer fluids offer low thermal conductivity. With the advancement of nano technology, the new generation of heat transfer fluids called, “nano fluids” have been developed and researchers found that these fluids offer higher thermal conductivity compared to that of conventional coolants. Looking into the present day need of automobile heat disposal methods, many researchers are exploring the best means to absorb and dissipate the heat from an engine in an efficient manner. Many automobile giants have invested enormous time and money in this field to analyze overall heat transfer coefficient with variety of fluids. The recent developments were use of nano particles in the base fluids as heat transfer medium.

Nano fluid is a new type of heat transfer fluid with superior thermal performance characteristics, engineered by dispersing metallic or non-metallic nano particles with a typical size of less than 100 nm in the conventional heat transfer fluids. Their use remarkably augments the heat transfer potential of the base liquids. In this paper, many papers of cooling using nano fluids made of different nano particles have been studied to check the possibilities of using these nano fluids in the IC engine radiator cooling. It is found that Nano fluid is very effective in cooling than the conventional cooling fluid and using these coolants in the IC Engine Radiator, good results of IC engine performance can be obtained.