Comparative Energy and Exergy Analysis of a Car Radiator Using Alumina and CuO Doped TiO2 Hybrid Nanocoolants

Abstract

Effects of various hybrid nanofluid as a coolant in wavy fin and tube radiator have been studied and detailed description on thermal performance analysis using hybrid nanofluid composition mainly of AlTi (Al2O3–TiO2), CuTi (CuO–TiO2), and THNF (Al2O3–CuO–TiO2) in water as a base fluid with coolant flow rate of 6.7l/min, 0.3% volume fraction of hybrid nanofluid and frontal velocity of 10.67 m/s are investigated. The present study reveals CuTi (CuO-TiO2)-water hybrid composition shows a decrement in the effectiveness while other two hybrid compositions nanofluid yield better performance, effectiveness with coolant flow rate, air velocity, and volume fraction of hybrid nanofluid. Hybrid coolant applied in the radiator has significant enhancement in irreversibility, entropy generation, exergy change, second law efficiency, and increases with the increment in parameters. THNF composition hybrid nanofluid has 8.7, 1.8, and 1.6% higher performance index, irreversibility, and coolant exergy change respectively compared to CuTi composition hybrid nanofluid. Besides, effective hybrid nanofluid applied results in a better-performed automobile radiator. Although AlTi composition hybrid nanofluid suggests highest enhancement and lowest by CuTi composition hybrid but THNF hybrid coolant preferred to be used in radiator coolant due to lower entropy generation and moderate enhancement. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.