DOE Logo
Have an account?

Forgot your password?

Numerical Simulation of the Solidification Process of Nanofluids

Conference Name: Proceedings of the 2011 Nanotech Conference and Expo (CDROM)
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Date: 2011

List of Authors:
Yousef. M. F. EL Hasadi, , J. M. Khodadadi

Abstract

The effects of mass transfer of the nanoparticles on the morphology of the solid-liquid interface and evolving concentration field during solidification of colloids have been reported. The numerical method that has been used was based on the one-fluid-mixture model. The model takes into account the thermal as well as the solutal convection effects. A differentially-heated square cavity was used in the simulation. The colloid was composed of a suspension of copper nanoparticles in water. The temperature difference between the hot and cold sides was 5 degrees centigrade and the loadings of the nanoparticles that have been used in the simulation were 1%, 5%, and 10% by mass. The solid-liquid interface for the case of nanofluid with 10 wt% of nanoparticles evolved from a planar shape at the beginning of the solidification process to a dendritic shape as the solidification process proceeds in time.