Study of the Thermal Performance and Entropy Generated by Laminar Flow of a Nanofluid in Pipes

This research numerically investigates entropy generation in a laminar forced convective flow of Al 2 O 3water nanofluid within a 2D axisymmetric pipe under uniform heat flux.The study employed aluminum oxide nanoparticles with a consistent diameter of 30nm, dispersed in water at volumetric concentrations of 1% to 4%.For Reynolds numbers (Re) ranging from 200 to 900, the analysis focused on the interplay between the Nusselt number, thermal-hydraulic performance, and entropy generation as functions of both flow velocity and nanoparticle concentration.Results show that elevating the Re and volume fraction not only increases the Nusselt number but also reduces the total entropy generation by 22.25%.A corresponding rise in pressure drop was also observed with these increases.Consequently, the application of Al 2 O 3 -water nanofluid proves to be thermodynamically advantageous, enhancing heat transfer characteristics while simultaneously suppressing entropy generation.