Pool boiling heat transfer experiments in silica–water nano-fluids

Heat transfer measurements taken at atmospheric pressure in silica nano-solutions are compared to similar measurements taken in pure water and silica micro-solutions. The data include heat flux vs. superheat of a 0.4 mm diameter NiCr wire submerged in each solution. The data show a marked increase in critical heat flux (CHF) for both nano- and micro-solutions compared to water, but no appreciable differences in heat transfer for powers less than CHF. The data also show that stable film boiling at temperatures close to the wire melting point are achievable with the nano-solutions but not with the micro-solutions.