Viscosity, thermal and electrical conductivity of silicon dioxide-ethylene glycol transparent nanofluids: An experimental studies

Nanofluids are novel engineering materials with many potential industrial applications, particularly in the processes of heat exchange. The paper presents the results of experimental investigation of viscosity, thermal and electrical conductivity of transparent suspensions of silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles in ethylene glycol (EG). Dynamic viscosity of samples was measured in shear rate range from 100 s−1 to 1000 s−1. Thermal and electrical conductivity of nanosuspensions with various fractions of particles was measured. All measurements were conducted at constant temperature 298.15 K. It was presented that with increasing concentrations of nanoparticles in nanofluids all investigated properties increase linearly in examined volume fraction range. Finally evaluation of the heat transfers performance, and thermo-electrical conductivity (TEC) ratio based on obtained results was presented.