The investigation of heat transfer enhancement by using different mixture conditions of graphene nanofluids on a downward facing surface

Abstract In this study, graphene nanofluids were used to explore the effect of various concentrations on boiling heat transfer of downward-facing heating. Five concentrations of graphene nanofluids were prepared for pool boiling heat transfer experiments. The experimental results show that when the mass concentration is 10 mg/L, the maximum enhancement of the CHF is up to 76.1%. In order to explore the mechanism of graphene nanofluid enhancing boiling heat transfer, after the experiment, the wettability and roughness of the heating surface were measured and the heating surface was characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electronic differential system (EDS). The results show that the wettability is enhanced and the surface roughness is reduced. In addition, boiling curves (the curves of heat flux with surface superheat) and the curves of heat transfer coefficient with heat flux at different concentrations have also been observed to further explore the mechanism of enhanced heat transfer.