CFD analysis for different nanofluids in fin prolonged heat exchanger for waste heat recovery

Heat exchangers play a critical role in waste heat recovery systems by enabling the transfer of heat from high-temperature waste streams to other fluids, thus improving overall energy efficiency and reducing emissions. The present study focuses on the performance analysis of fin prolonged heat exchanger with the application of different nanofluids. The results suggest that the incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles to the base fluid can enhance the heat transfer performance, with GO-based nanofluids exhibiting better results than Al₂O₃-based nanofluids. The incorporation of nanoparticles to a base fluid increases the pressure drop, and GO/water nanofluid exhibits less pressure drop than Al₂O₃/water nanofluid due to the higher aspect ratio, larger surface area, and more efficient alignment of GO nanoparticles in the fluid flow. It is concluded that enhancement in heat transfer is more impressive for GO-water working fluid. The fluctuation in pressure drop is noted for Al₂O₃ nanoparticles. The heat transfer phenomenon effected with higher aspect ratio and surface area.