Experimental investigating the effect of adding of graphene on the improvement of convective heat transfer coefficient of water/ethylene glycol system in laminar flow

One of the miniaturization of heat transfer equipment is enhancing the convective heat transfer coefficient. The main aim of this study is design and producing a kind of nanofluid based on water and ethylene glycol. Graphene was synthesized via electrochemical method and its successful production was confirmed with XRD, FTIR spectrum and, SEM and TEM images. By using different amount of graphene i.e. 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, and 1.5%, water/ethylene glycol/graphene nanofluid was produced. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used as surfactant to improve graphene stability in the base fluid. The designed experimental setup was composed of spiral tube with constant wall temperature and equipped with flow meter and pressure and temperature indicators. Nusselt number and pressure drop were measured for pure water and compared with those obtained from theoretical relations and it was found that the setup works properly. Convective heat transfer coefficient, Nusselt number, and heat transfer rate were investigated for water/ethylene glycol (60/40 wt.%) and nanofluid with different amount of graphene using experimental setup. The results showed that by adding 1 wt.% graphene into the based fluid the convective heat transfer coefficient increased about 50% while pressure drop was also increased about 50%. Overall, the findings of this research work support the potential of water/ethylene glycol/graphene nanofluid for using in heating/cooling equipment.