Comparison of Multidimensional Simulation Models for Nanofluids Flow Characteristics.

Enhanced heat transfer in nanofluids is mainly an effect of flow characteristics. In this article, we investigate the flow field of SiO2/water nanofluids using a single-phase model, a Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase model, and a Euler-Lagrange multiphase model, performing qualitative and quantitative comparisons with experimental data. We find that the chief microscopic mechanisms underlying microflow enhancement involve irregular micromotions of nanoparticles and an intensified turbulence of fluids. Of the three models, the Euler-Lagrange model is the most accurate, the single-phase model is the least predictive, while the accuracy of the Eulerian-Eulerian model lies in between. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]