Nanofluids for Thermal Management Systems

• Main Authors: HAYES ANDREW M, MCCANTS DALE A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.01.2012
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BLASTING; CALCULATING; CHEMISTRY; COMPUTING; COUNTING; DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OFGENERAL APPLICATION; DYES; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL; HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS,IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT; HEATING; LIGHTING; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NANOTECHNOLOGY; NATURAL RESINS; PAINTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; POLISHES; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

A nanofluid is generally provided for use in a heat transfer system. The nanofluid can include nanoparticles suspended in a base liquid at a nanoparticle concentration in the nanofluid of about 0.01% to about 5% by volume. The nanoparticles can include zinc-oxide nanoparticles. The nanofluid for use in a heat transfer system can, in one embodiment, further include a surfactant. Thermal management systems configured to cool a computer having integrated circuits that generate heat during use are also provided. The thermal management system can include a zinc-oxide nanofluid circulated through a series of tubes via a pump such that heat produced by electronic components of the computer can be captured by the circulating nanofluid and then removed from the nanofluid by a radiator.