Abstract
Enhanced thermal conductivity of nanofluids has proven importance in enhancing heat transfer for many application. In this study, thermal conductivity of graphite nanopowder dispersed in water at different temperatures was studied experimentally. Stable nanofluids of different concentrations (0.2 vol%, 0.5 vol%, 0.8 vol%, 1 vol% and 1.5 vol%) are prepared using ultrasonic cleaner by sonicating for 3 hour. Thermal conductivity was measured from temperature 25 to 55 degrees C with an interval of 5 degrees C using KD2 Pro thermal properties analyser. Experimental results showed that thermal conductivity increases with increase in temperature and volume concentration. Thermal conductivity of Water - Graphite nanofluid showed enhancement of 5.6% to 20.42% for 0.2 vol% to 1.5 vol% of concentration at 25 degrees C respectively. However, the maximum improvement of 39.72% was found at 1.5% of concentration at 55 degrees C compared to water. A correlation was developed considering the effect of temperature and concentration using the regression method. The proposed correlation effectively predicts the thermal conductivity of Water - Graphite nanofluids with an accuracy of +/- 2.8%.