The continuously increasing power involved in many applications, coupled with the very small size of a
number of component devices, is pushing the technical community to look for more efficient heat transfer
systems, to remove the heat generated and keep the system under controlled operating conditions. In
particular, significant interest has been devoted to the use of the so-called nanofluids, obtained by suspending
nano-sized particles in conventional heat transfer liquids. According to some literature, these suspensions
present enhanced heat transfer capabilities, without the inconveniencies of particles settlement and clogging
of the channels encountered using larger particles. However, other results show that the actual improvement
in the heat transfer efficiency may depend on the adopted working conditions and on the reference
parameters (fluid velocity, Reynolds number, pressure drop, etc.) assumed to compare the performances of
the nanoparticles suspensions with those of the clear thermal fluid.
In the present work heat transfer experiments were carried out on a number of nanofluids systems, varying the
type and the concentration of the nanoparticles, and the fluid dynamic regime. The investigated suspensions
gave rise to heat transfer coefficients different from those of their respective clear thermal fluid, the thermal
efficiency being higher or lower, depending on the fluid dynamic parameter used as a base for comparing the
systems. Generally speaking, in most cases nanofluids may give an advantage from the heat transfer point of
view only when the conditions are unfavorable for the traditional thermal fluid