A combination of two passive heat transfer enhancement techniques using a microfin structure and nanofluids was investigated numerically. TiO2/water nanofluids flowing inside a square minichannel with a microfin structure (SMM) were observed as a practical application. Increased heat transfer performance was investigated by observing the Nusselt number, friction factor, and performance evaluation criterion (PEC). Velocity and temperature profiles were also demonstrated at a laminar developing flow regime. The SMM used in this work had six microfins (N = 6) and TiO2/water nanofluids with various nanoparticle concentrations of 0.005, 0.01, and 0.1 vol.%. By combining nanofluids as working fluids and SMM as a passive heat transfer enhancement, the maximum PEC value of 1.2 was achieved at Re = 380 with a volume fraction of 0.01 vol.%. It is obvious that compared to water flowing inside the square minichannel microfin, the heat transfer can be increased by using only a nanofluid with a volume fraction of 0.01%. The combination of a microfin and nanofluids as working fluids is strongly recommended due to its excellent performance in terms of heat transfer and economic considerations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.