Numerical and statistical analysis of boehmite alumina nanofluid in a cylindrical heat sink with helical minichannels using Taguchi method

In this research, hydrothermal performance of boehmite alumina nanofluid based on water in a cylindrical heat sink with helical minichannels is investigated numerically. The design factors were selected at four levels including the helix angle of minichannels, the Reynolds number, the nanoparticles shape and volume fraction of nanoparticles. To perform sensitivity analysis of design factors, the Taguchi method with L16 orthogonal array and statistical analysis of variance are used.The Nusselt number, the Fanning friction factor and the total thermal performance factor were computed as the output parameters. The obtained results showed that the helix angle of minichannels and the nanoparticles shape have a vital role in the Nusselt number and the Fanning friction factor with the sum of the contribution ratios of the two factors 85.21% and 96%, respectively. Also, the helix angle of minichannels has a 47.93% contribution in the total thermal performance factor.The optimal combination for the Nusselt number and the total thermal performance factor is acquired as A1B4C4D4. Overall, the helical minichannel with boehmite alumina nanofluid can be useful as a preferred cooling for the cylindrical heat sources.