A comprehensive review on ferrofluid convective heat transfer under the influence of external magnetic source

Abstract

Ferrofluid is a colloidal liquid, consisting of nanoparticles of magnetic material suspended in a carrier liquid. Its important property is, though it is liquid still responds to external magnetic field and becomes highly magnetic in the presence of same. This property of ferrofluid has widened its use in many applications like energy harvesting, heat exchanger, electronic cooling, seal, lubrication and damping. In few applications like fluid transport in space, conventional convective heat transfer is inadequate due to reduced or complete absence of gravity. Also conventionally water or air is used as a working medium in convective heat transfer application. As both have lower convective heat transfer coefficient, heat transfer rate is poor with them. Thermophysical properties of ferrofluid can be controlled by varying externally applied magnetic field. Addition of ferrofluid, under the action of externally applied magnetic field, increases thermal conductivity and convective heat transfer coefficient significantly as compared to base liquid. Research work should be carried on investigating performance of ferrofluid in convective heat transfer applications, on which yet very less or no research is carried like I.C. engine cooling, electronic cooling, and heat exchanger applications in order to enhance convective heat transfer rate and thus performance of devices using ferrofluid as a working medium. This paper focuses on research work carried till now in the area of ferrofluid based convective heat transfer and area in which ferrofluid based convective heat transfer should be explored.