Optimization on heat-transfer coefficient of plate heat exchanger using MWCNT-TiO2 nanofluid by response surface methodology

Abstract

In this present study, MWCNT-TiO _2 hybrid nanocomposite synthesized by solvothermal synthesis method with TiCl _4 as a precursor. Then the hybrid nanocomposite based nanofluid produced using base fluid water/Ethylene-glycol (50:50). The microscopic techniques like SEM, TEM and XRD were used to characterize the morphological studies of synthesized MWCNT-TiO _2 . The heat-transfer coefficient of synthesized nanofluid inside the Plate Heat Exchanger (PHE) has experimented at selected levels of particle concentrations, inlet temperature and volume flow rate by RSM based Box-Behnken method. The findings revealed a more substantial linear effect at the heat-transfer coefficient of MWCNT-TiO _2 hybrid nanofluid by chosen process parameters. ANOVA results showed that the heat-transfer coefficient of hybrid nanofluid considerably enhanced at a selected higher level of particle concentration and volume flow rate of the MWNCT-TiO _2 hybrid nanofluid. At the same time, the heat-transfer coefficient decreased at a higher level of inlet temperature of MWNCT-TiO _2 hybrid nanofluid. The optimization result compared with the confirmatory experiments, and it yielded less than 1% error which ensures a better agreement with the predicted results.

Keywords

• MWCNT
• TiO2
• nano-fluid
• plate heat exchanger
• thermal performance