Thermal conductivity of nanoparticle-fluid mixture

Effective thermal conductivity of mixtures of fluids and nanometer-size particles is measured by a steady-state parallel-plate method. The tested fluids contain two types of nanoparticles, Al2O3 and CuO, dispersed in water, vacuum pump fluid, engine oil, and ethylene glycol. Experimental results show that the thermal conductivities of nanoparticle-fluid mixtures are higher than those of the base fluids. Using theoretical models of effective thermal conductivity of a mixture, we have demonstrated that the predicted thermal conductivities of nanoparticle-fluid mixtures are much lower than our measured data, indicating the deficiency in the existing models when used for nanoparticle-fluid mixtures. Possible mechanisms contributing to enhancement of the thermal conductivity of the mixtures are discussed. A more comprehensive theory is needed to fully explain the behavior of nanoparticle-fluid mixtures.