Numerical Study of Heat Transfer Enhancement in a Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger Using Al₂O₃/Water Nanofluid

Abstract

This study numerically investigates heat transfer enhancement in a shell-and-tube heat exchanger using aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) nanoparticles dispersed in water — referred to as nanofluid. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was employed, varying nanoparticle volume fraction (0.5% to 3.0%) and flow velocity (Reynolds number from 500 to 2000). Results showed that at 3% nanoparticle concentration, heat transfer improved by 28.4% compared to pure water, while pressure drop increased by only 18.2%. The optimal nanoparticle concentration was found to be 2%. The simulation results agreed with published experimental data within 6.8% accuracy.