THERMAL SCIENCE

International Scientific Journal

Hadjer Baghni

,

Imane Aliouane

,

Younes Menni

,

Mustafa Bayram

,

Omolayo M. Ikumapayi

,

Abiodun Bayode

,

Tin Tin Ting

THE 3-D ANALYSIS OF CU-WATER NANOFLUID INFLUENCE ON THERMAL AND HYDRAULIC PERFORMANCE IN A 30° BAFFLED COUNTERFLOW HEAT EXCHANGER

ABSTRACT
This study numerically analyzes a baffled counterflow heat exchanger with two adjacent side-by-side rectangular channels separated by a thin aluminum wall, allowing conductive heat transfer without fluid mixing. The hot channel carries water, while the cold Cu-water nanofluid-flows in the opposite direction. Transversal baffles, fixed in place at a 30° rotation angle, are employed to enhance thermal performance by promoting secondary flows and disrupting boundary-layers. Using the finite element method, the effects of Reynolds number (500-2000) and nanoparticle volume fraction (0%-4%) on flow structure, heat transfer, and pressure drop are investigated. Results show that increasing the nanoparticle concentration and flow rate improves thermal gradients and mixing intensity in both channels. Despite a moderate increase in pressure drop, the system achieves a maximum thermal efficiency of 35.75% under conditions of high nanoparticle concentration and low Reynolds number, confirming the effectiveness of combining nanofluids and geometric modifications for enhancing thermal performance in compact systems.
KEYWORDS
nanofluid, counterflow, heat transfer, thermal efficiency, CFD
PAPER SUBMITTED: 2025-03-02
PAPER REVISED: 2025-05-27
PAPER ACCEPTED: 2025-06-29
PUBLISHED ONLINE: 2025-09-26
DOI REFERENCE: https://doi.org/10.2298/TSCI2504131B
CITATION EXPORT: view in browser or download as text file
THERMAL SCIENCE YEAR 2025, VOLUME 29, ISSUE Issue 4, PAGES [3131 - 3138]
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The 3-D analysis of cu-water nanofluid influence on thermal and hydraulic performance in a 30° baffled counterflow heat exchanger

2025 Society of Thermal Engineers of Serbia. Published by the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International licence