Numerical Study of Nanocomposites for Energy Applications

Abstract

Nanocomposites are defined as a combination of nanoparticles reinforced into the base material. They are of very small sizes (1nm = 10-9m) and possesses higher thermal properties. They are widely utilized in different applications, like in energy, construction, biomedical, chemical, electronics, agriculture, cosmetics, etc. This chapter deals with the application of nanocomposites (SiC/Al2O3/B4C/TiO2/ZnO/SiO2) in the field of energy applications by analyzing their properties (thermal-conductivity/density/specific-heat) using numerical models. The effect of nanoparticles reinforced wt. % concentration into a base material (Al6061/Al7075/H2O) is also analyzed. Results show that nanocomposites have higher effective thermal conductivity and are suitable for high heat-releasing energy devices. It is found that the addition of nanoparticles increases the surface area to volume ratio, which further increases the energy transfer rate. Results show that nanocomposites with lower effective density are suitable when there is a requirement of reduction in weight for the same heat release application.