NanoHex. Transforming the Future. of Heat Management. Enhanced Nano-Fluid Heat Exchange

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1 NanoHex Enhanced Nano-Fluid Heat Exchange Transforming the Future of Heat Management

2 The World s largest collaborative project for the research and development of nanofluid coolants, NanoHex comprises of a consortium of 12 leading European companies and research centres. The 8.3 million project has been funded by a Seventh Framework Programme grant, together with investment from the consortium members. Utilising promising research results from previous work by the consortium, NanoHex aims to develop and optimise the processes for the production of high performance nanofluid coolants for use in industrial heat management. These fluids will then be applied in two different demonstrators for the cooling of Data Centres and Power Electronic Components in order to illustrate the viability and flexibility of using nanofluids to reduce energy consumption, lower operating costs, cut carbon emissions, extend product reliability and enable the development of more sustainable processes and products.

3 Enhancing Heat Transfer Published literature and past experimental data provides strong evidence that nanofluid coolants enhance heat transfer performance, by significantly enhancing heat transfer coefficients and temperature-dependant thermal conductivity. However, the mechanism as to why this should occur is poorly understood. Existing theories and heat transfer models do not accurately explain the enhanced thermal performance observed for fluids containing dispersed nano-sized particles or nanotubes. NanoHex will therefore investigate a number of mechanisms that influence heat transfer, with the aim of developing an analytical model that can accurately predict the effective thermal conductivity and performance of the coolants. This knowledge will help us to formulate optimal nanofluid coolants for industrialisation.

4 Nano Data Centres Around 50% of the energy spent within data centres is used for cooling and this accounts for around 2% of global carbon emissions. Being able to cool a data centre is critical to its operation, as excessive heat can directly impact performance and reduce throughput but the complex mix of air handling, chillers and compressors comes at a premium with regards to environmental impact. A new nanofluid coolant with enhanced heat transport capabilities could significantly reduce the overall energy consumption of data centres. The efficient removal of heat from computer servers, racks and cabinets would ease the demand for air conditioning in the server room, decrease the size of chilling units and improve the performance of the system, all with considerable cost-saving implications. Such energy reductions and the re-cycling of heat captured by the coolant could help to cut carbon emissions and yield greater levels of efficiency and sustainability for the development of new manufacturing processes and products.

5 Applications As vast amounts of energy are lost on intensive cooling processes, faster more efficient cooling systems are becoming a high priority for many industries. By investigating two such areas with high cooling demands, NanoHex hopes to demonstrate how the unique thermal properties of nanofluids may benefit any industry requiring thermal management. Power Electronics Traction converters, based on Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) modules, are used for supplying energy to the traction motors of high speed trains and require an operational life time of 30 years. However, changes in ambient temperature and heating during service generate thermal stresses within the power electronics package. This can reduce heat transfer from the chips, decreasing the electrical efficiency and service life time of the modules. Current liquid cooling systems are limited as to how efficiently they may transfer heat from the cold plate to the coolant fluid, but the improved thermal transfer provided by a nanofluid coolant could significantly increase the reliability of such power electronics systems. This would not only provide consumers with a higher quality product that lasts longer and needs less maintenance but also impart a significant cost saving.

6 Life Cycle Assessment Using a full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), NanoHex will carefully evaluate the health and safety of nanofluid coolants and their potential impact on the environment for both Data Centre and Power Electronics applications. The LCA will combine existing data with complementary primary data collected during the development programme and nanofluid production, to encompass the coolants entire life cycle, from supply through production and on to application, including maintenance and recycling. Risk Assessment will also be used to characterise any hazards and quantify potential exposure to the nanofluids. This investigation will enable the consortia to develop and produce nanofluids using safe standards of practice and will establish an important component in determining the final products overall economic viability.

7 In Production Research has shown that the dispersal of nanoparticles into a carrier fluid can significantly increase its heat transport capabilities, sometimes by as much as 350%. Whilst there are sources of commercially available nanoparticles, there are no commercial sources of well characterised nanofluid coolants available today anywhere in the world. Two separate methods will be employed to formulate and optimise purpose designed nanofluids during the project. A single-stage process will employ wet chemical synthesis to form and disperse tailored nanoparticles within a carrier fluid and a two-stage batch process will investigate the addition of pre-produced nanoparticles to a carrier fluid. Using specific parameters, such as temperature, flow regime and morphology, each nanofluid will also be characterised using standard testing techniques. The morphology and composition of nanoparticles are key to their thermal capability and based on the characterisation and performance of these nanofluids, NanoHex aims to evolve and refine an optimal nanofluid coolant that may be safely applied to range of different applications.

8 NanoHex Partners Thermacore Europe Ltd (Lead Partner) UNITED KINGDOM The Centre for Process Innovation UNITED KINGDOM Ingegneria Sistemi Impianti Servizi R&D ITALY Technical University of Eindhoven NETHERLANDS The University of Birmingham, Dept. of Chemical Engineering UNITED KINGDOM The Weizmann Institute of Science, Dept. of Chemical Physics ISRAEL The University of Twente, Faculty of Science & Technology NETHERLANDS ItN Nanovation AG GERMANY Siemens AG GERMANY Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) ITALY Royal Institute of Technology SWEDEN Dispersia Ltd UNITED KINGDOM For more information please visit: or contact: Lindsay Gill NanoHex Communications Leader