Nano-refrigerants and nano-lubricants in refrigeration : synthesis, mechanisms, applications, and challenges

Addressing global energy security and environmental concerns, the utilization of nano-refrigerants and nano-lubricants has emerged as an innovative path for enhancing heat transfer. This research focuses on enhancing the thermophysical properties, heat transfer efficiency, and tribological characteristics of nanofluids—nanoparticles dispersed in refrigerants or lubricants. These nanofluids have demonstrated significant potential in applications such as cooling, air conditioning systems, and heat transfer equipment including pumps and pipes. A comprehensive understanding of parameters like thermal conductivity, viscosity, pressure drop, pumping power, and energy performance is delivered, with the aim of enhancing the overall efficiency of refrigeration systems, particularly the coefficient of performance (COP). Additionally, the review covers existing research on flow and pool boiling heat transfer, nano-lubricant tribological enhancement, and nano-refrigerant condensation. The study also addresses the challenges associated with the use of nano-refrigerants and nano-lubricants and offers a prospective outlook for their usage. These novel nanofluids are anticipated to emerge as effective solutions for increasing the COP and reducing energy consumption in the industrial sector, thus extending beyond the scope of previous efforts in this field. This review could serve as a valuable resource for a broad audience interested in this novel approach to energy efficiency

Implications of using nanoparticles on the performance and safety of nuclear systems

Nanotechnology, and particularly nanoparticles (NPs), command significant attention across diverse fields such as medicine, chemistry, and engineering. NPs are integrated into a base material through various techniques, such as dispersion, coating, and encapsulation. This review intends to offer an evaluation of the implementation of NPs in nuclear energy and radiation protection. Particular focus is given to nanofluids - suspensions of NPs in a base fluid - and their impact on the thermal–hydraulic and neutronic attributes of nuclear reactor cores. Discussion centers on how substituting water with nanofluids as a coolant can modify these characteristics. Computational modeling and experimental methods of nanofluids are examined, highlighting an enhanced heat transfer capacity under both regular and emergency reactor conditions. The influence of nanofluids on neutronic parameters, aiming for optimized operation and safety of nuclear reactors, is also explored. Furthermore, the potential of NPs for radiation shielding is considered, underlining their capability to attenuate radiation effects. Examples are drawn from the addition of NPs to containment structures in nuclear facilities and their use in radiotherapy, as well as enhancing radiation shielding in imaging techniques. Finally, the review encompasses the effects of nanofluids on surface oxidation and corrosion. The importance of these factors lies in their substantial impact on heat transport properties and potential for corrosive damage

Heat transfer improvement in a thermal energy storage system using auxiliary fluid instead of nano-PCM in an inclined enclosure : a comparative study

Modern thermal energy storage (TES) systems rely laboriously on finding a low-cost method to improve heat transfer. In the present analysis, adding CuO nanoparticles and tilting the enclosure simultaneously is compared with a novel approach that employed water as a supplemental fluid to improve the melting process using the density difference between PCM and supplemental fluid. Oleic acid is selected as an immiscible PCM in water, which causes PCM and auxiliary fluid utterly separate at the end of the melting process to be usable in more additional TES cycles. By placing water as a heavier material directly on top of oleic acid, the melted oleic acid is replaced by water at the bottom of the enclosure when it melts because water has a heavier density than oleic acid. At first, adding 1% and 2% of CuO nanoparticles in an enclosure with different inclinations of 0°, 45°, and 90° is studied to identify the energy storage rate. Continuity, momentum, and energy equations are used to formulate a mathematical model of the TES system. In the next step, the melting process of the combined system is analyzed to determine the energy storage rate of the combined system compared to the system, including CuO nanoparticles in the inclined enclosure. Comparing the combined system with the optimal case of nano-PCM in the inclined enclosure, it was found that the energy storage rate in the system using auxiliary fluid is 1.396 times higher

Investigation on solar still with integration of solar cooker to enhance productivity : experimental, exergy, and economic analysis

The use of solar still combined with solar energy applications including photovoltaic modules, solar collectors, and solar heaters can significantly impact the system's productivity. In this paper, the combination of solar still and solar box cooker was considered to increase the system's absorption area and water productivity. In order to bring up the temperature of the saline water, it was circulated between the solar cooker and the solar still. A mirror was used on the solar box cooker to enhance solar intensity into the absorber plate. The solar box cooker increases the system's absorption area and improves the saline water temperature. The outcomes illustrated that the passive solar still (PSS) and active solar still (ASS) produced 3.9 L/m2 per day and 5.5 L/m2 per day, respectively. Also, the freshwater production was enhanced by about 41 % by modification in comparison with the PSS. Moreover, the cost per liter for the PSS and ASS were approximately 0.0101 $and 0.0091$, respectively. In addition, ASS reduced CO2 emissions by 41 % compared to PSS