Experimental investigation of the nucleate pool boiling heat transfer characteristics of δ-Al2O3-R141b nanofluids on a horizontal plate

•Pool boiling heat transfer characteristics of δ-Al2O3-R141b nanofluids are tested.•The concentrations are 0.001 vol.%, 0.01 vol.% and 0.1 vol.%.•The suspended nanoparticles can enhance the pool boiling characteristics.•The SDBS can enhance the pool boiling characteristics at 0.1 vol.% concentration.•The effect of the change of the surface angle can be negligible for R141b.

Pool boiling heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids in nucleate pool boiling have been experimentally investigated on a horizontal flat square copper surface at 10–200 kW/m2 heat fluxes under atmospheric pressure. The surface roughness has been controlled by sandpaper of grade #2000 before boiling. The nanofluids have been prepared by suspending δ-Al2O3 nanoparticles in base fluids refrigerant 141b (R141b) at concentrations of 0.001 vol.%, 0.01 vol.% and 0.1 vol.% with and without surfactant SDBS. The results show that the suspended δ-Al2O3 nanoparticles enhance the pool boiling heat transfer characteristics for R141b at concentrations of 0.001 vol.% and 0.01 vol.% with and without the surfactant SDBS. However, the δ-Al2O3 nanoparticles deteriorate the pool boiling heat transfer characteristics at 0.1 vol.% concentration without the surfactant SDBS due to the large quantity of deposition of nanoparticles. When the particle concentration is 0.001 vol.%, the addition of the SDBS decreases the enhancement of the boiling heat transfer characteristics by nanoparticles, when the particle concentrations are 0.01 vol.% and 0.1 vol.%, the addition of the SDBS increases the enhancement of the boiling heat transfer characteristics by nanoparticles.

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