Analysis of ethylene glycol (EG) based nanofluid coolant for enhancing cooling capacity of engine

The automobile industry is looking for an effective engine heat dissipation solution without changing the shape and size of the engine. The current study was performed on automotive engine cooling systems using Ethylene Glycol (EG) and copper nano-particles as a coolant to investigate the degree of engine cooling and pressure drop. The research aims to apply CFD methodology to evaluate the cooling performance of engines at varying concentrations of copper nanoparticles and validate it through experimental work. The analysis was performed in steady-state conditions and the effect on engine cooling and pressure drop was observed. It was seen that Cu-EG nanofluid was found better than base EG in terms of engine cooling. It was also concluded from the study that the degree of cooling is a linear function of nanofluid concentration. The highest cooling of 19.3 °C was observed at a 5% concentration of Cu nanoparticles while the least cooling at 10 °C degree was observed with Ethylene glycol coolant. It was also important to note that concentration rise resulted in a slightly higher pressure drop; hence concentration should be selected accordingly. From CFD analysis, the lowest pressure drop of 32.19 Pa was seen for EG coolant while 38.72 Pa for 5% Cu-EG nanofluid. The results showed that compared to EG coolant, a 13.17% increase in cooling with 5% concentration was found while the nanofluid cooling resulted in a slightly higher-pressure drop of 8.85%. The experimental results were found in good conformity with the CFD result and the deviation was less than 5%. The present study is the foundation for the researchers working in the field of engine cooling.