Abstract:
Nanofluids - one simple product of the emerging world
nanotechnology - where nanoparticles (nominally 1-100 nm in
size) are mixed with conventional base fluids (water, oils,
glycols, etc.). Nanofluids have seen enormous growth in
popularity since they were proposed by Choi in 1995 [1]. In
the year 2010 alone there were nearly 500 research articles
where the term nanofluid was used in the title, showing rapid
growth from 2000 (12) and 2005 (78). Much of the first decade
of nanofluid research was focused on measuring and modeling
fundamental thermophysical properties of nanofluids (thermal
conductivity, density, viscosity, convection coefficients).
Recent research, however, has started to highlight how
nanofluids might perform in a wide variety of other
applications. These applications range from their use in
nanomedicine [2] to their use as solar energy harvesting media
[3]. By analyzing the available body of research to date, this
article presents trends of where nanofluid research is headed
and suggests which applications may benefit the most from
employing nanofluids. Overall, this review summarizes the
novel applications and uses of nanofluids while setting the
stage for future nanofluid use in industry.
