Abstract
•EG/water mixture was taken as the base fluid.•Nanocomposite comprising Al2O3, ZnO & TiO2 was used as supporting materials.•EG/water mixture-based nanofluids could achieve the highest thermal conductivity.•Regression analyses of the nanofluids were carried out.•Experimental results were validated with mathematical models.
The experimental work was carried out to probe the effect of nanocomposite added into ethylene glycol/water (as base fluid) on the thermophysical properties. The nanocomposites to be dispersed into base fluid were produced via the hydrothermal method. The surface morphology, the composition of particles, and the crystalline structure of the nanocomposites were characterized. Ethylene glycol/water mixtures with different volume ratios were taken into account in the present study. To prepare nanofluids, the nanocomposites with 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 vol% were dispersed into base fluid using a two-step approach. The effects of nanocomposites in base fluids were studied concerning thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and viscosity. Besides, the thermophysical properties of the nanofluids were verified with respect to the operating temperature. Considering the results, the newly prepared nanofluids exhibited improved thermophysical properties and hence, this nanofluid can be reckoned to be a potential substitute for conventional fluids at higher temperature applications.