Rheology of ionanofluids – A review

Sustainable pathways for solar desalination using nanofluids: A critical review

Water is a fundamental requirement for the survival of human beings. Although water is abundantly available across the globe, access to freshwater still remains a major concern. Most of the water available is saline or brackish, which is not fit for human consumption. Desalination is the optimum solution for production of potable water from saline water. A major shortcoming of conventional desalination technologies is their dependence on fossil fuel that results in environmental degradation, global warming, etc. Therefore, sustainable desalination technology has evolved as a need of hour. Among all renewable energy resources, solar energy is abundantly available and can be potentially harvested. Therefore, solar energy can be used to drive sustainable desalination technologies. A solar still converts saline water into freshwater in a single step using solar energy. But the major drawbacks of solar still are relatively lower efficiency and lower yield. Nanofluids are widely used to overcome these limitations due to their extraordinary and unique properties. This paper critically reviews the recent research performed on the application of nanofluids in solar desalination systems. Methods of nanofluid preparation, their types and properties are also discussed in detail. Application of nanofluids in solar desalination systems is discussed with special attention on performance enhancement of solar stills. Combinations of nanofluids with various other performance enhancement techniques are also considered. The effectiveness of nanofluids in solar stills is found to be dependent majorly on the nature and concentration of the nanofluid used.

Ionic-Liquid-Based Nanofluids and Their Heat-Transfer Applications: A Comprehensive Review

Due to the improved thermophysical characteristics of ionic liquids (ILs), such as their strong ionic conductivity, negligible vapor pressure, and thermal stability at high temperatures, they are being looked at viable contender for future heat transfer fluids. Additionally, the dispersing nanoparticles can further improve the thermophysical characteristics and thermal performance of ionic liquids, which is one of the emerging research interests to increase the heat transfer rates of the thermal devices. The latest investigations about the utilization of ionic liquid nanofluids as a heat transfer fluid is summarized in this work. These summaries are broken down into three types: (a) the thermophysical parameters including thermal conductivity, viscosity, density, and specific heat of ionic liquids (base fluids), (b) the thermophysical properties like thermal conductivity, viscosity, density, and viscosity of ionic liquids based nanofluids (IL nanofluids), and (iii) utilization of IL nanofluids as a heat transfer fluid in the thermal devices. The techniques for measuring the thermophysical characteristics and the synthesis of IL nanofluids are also covered. The suggestions for potential future research directions for IL nanofluids are summarized.

Intercalated chitosan-ionic liquid ionogel in SnO nanoplate: band gap narrow and adsorption-photodegradation process

Ionogels are a category of hybrid material containing ionic liquid stabilized by polymeric network. These composites have some applications in solid-state, energy storage devices and environmental studies. In this research, chitosan (CS), ethyl pyridinium iodide ionic liquid (IL), and ionogel (IG) consisting of chitosan and ionic liquid were used in the preparation of a SnO nanoplate (SnO-IL, SnO-CS and SnO-IG). For the preparation of the ethyl pyridinium iodide, a mixture of pyridine and iodoethane (1: 2 molar ratio) was refluxed for 24 hours. The ionogel was formed using ethyl pyridinium iodide ionic liquid in chitosan that was dissolved in acetic acid (1 % v/v). By increasing NH₃∙H₂O, the pH of the ionogel reached 7-8. Then, the resultant IG was mixed with SnO in an ultrasonic bath for 1 h. The microstructure of the ionogel was involved as assembled unit via π-π, electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions to be three-dimensional networks. The intercalated ionic liquid and chitosan influenced the stability of the SnO nanoplates and improved band gap values. When chitosan was contained as the interlayer space of the SnO nanostructure, the resulting biocomposite formed a well-ordered flower-like SnO structure. These hybrid material structures were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TGA, DSC, BET, and DRS techniques. The changes in the band gap values for photocatalysis applications were investigated. In the case of SnO, SnO-IL, SnO-CS, and SnO-IG, the band gap energy was 3.9, 3.6, 3.2, and 2.8 eV, respectively. The dye removal efficiency of SnO-IG was 98.5, 98.8, 97.9, and 98.4 % via the second-order kinetic model for Reactive Red 141, Reactive Red 195, Reactive Red 198, and Reactive Yellow 18, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of SnO-IG was 540.5, 584.7, 1501.5, and 1100.1 mg/g for Red 141, Red 195, Red 198, and Yellow 18 dyes, respectively. Also, an acceptable result (96.47 % dye removal) was obtained with the prepared SnO-IG biocomposite for dye removal from textile wastewater.

Thermophysical Properties of Vegetable Oil-Based Hybrid Nanofluids Containing Al2O3-TiO2 Nanoparticles as Insulation Oil for Power Transformers

The massive demand in the electrical power sector has resulted in a large demand for reliable, cost efficient, and environmentally friendly insulation oil to reduce the dependency on mineral oil. The hybridization of nanoparticles in vegetable oil is a novel method to enhance the thermal properties of vegetable oil. This study focuses on the experimental investigation of the thermophysical properties of coconut oil, soybean oil, and palm oil-based hybrid nanofluids suspended with Al₂O₃-TiO₂ nanoparticles at a mass concentration of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6%. The ratio between Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ nanoparticles was maintained constant at 50:50. The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the thermal conductivity, dynamic viscosity, and density of different vegetable base oils suspended with Al₂O₃-TiO₂ in the temperature range of 30 to 60 °C. The influence of temperature on the augmentation of thermophysical properties for different vegetable oil-based hybrid nanofluids is investigated experimentally. The experimental results for thermal conductivity for the three types of base fluids show that the effect of nanoparticle mass concentration in thermal conductivity enhancement is less significant for temperatures more than 50 °C. The palm oil with a 0.6% Al₂O₃-TiO₂ nanoparticle concentration exhibited the highest thermal conductivity with a 27.5% thermal conductivity enhancement relative to the base oil. The effect of nanofluid temperature on density and viscosity augmentation is more distinct compared with the impact of Al₂O₃-TiO₂ nanoparticles concentrations. Among all three types of hybrid nanofluids, palm oil based nanofluids were found to have superior thermophysical properties compared with coconut oil and soybean oil, with the highest thermal conductivity of 0.628 W/m·k and lowest viscosity of 17.772 mPa·s.

Ionic Liquid and Ionanofluid-Based Redox Flow Batteries—A Mini Review

Stationary energy storage methods such as flow batteries are one of the best options to integrate with smart power grids. Though electrochemical energy storage using flow battery technologies has been successfully demonstrated since the 1970s, the introduction of ionic liquids into the field of energy storage introduces new dimensions in this field. This reliable energy storage technology can provide significantly more flexibility when incorporated with the synergic effects of ionic liquids. This mini-review enumerates the present trends in redox flow battery designs and the use of ionic liquids as electrolytes, membranes, redox couples, etc. explored in these designs. This review specifically intends to provide an overview of the research prospects of ionic liquids for redox flow batteries (RFB).

Effect of ultrasonication time on microstructure, thermal conductivity, and viscosity of ionanofluids with originally ultra-long multi-walled carbon nanotubes

The stability along with thermal and rheological characteristics of ionanofluids (INFs) profoundly depend on the protocol of preparation. Therefore, in this work, the effect of ultrasonication time on microstructure, thermal conductivity, and viscosity of INFs containing 0.2 wt% of originally ultra-long multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and four different ILs, namely 1-propyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate, or 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide, was studied. The INFs were obtained by a two-step method using an ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonication process was performed for 1, 3, 10, or 30 min at a constant nominal power value of 200 W. The obtained results showed that for the shortest sonication time, the highest thermal conductivity enhancement of 12% was obtained. The extended sonication time from 1 to 30 min caused the cutting of MWCNTs and breaking the nanoparticle clusters, leading to a decrease in the average length of the nanotube bundles by approx. 70%. This resulted in a decline in thermal conductivity even by 7.2% and small deviations from the Newtonian behavior of INFs.

Performance of Ionic Liquid-Water Mixtures in an Acetone Cooling Application

In this work, the performance of selected ionic liquid-water mixtures was investigated for an acetone cooling application in a process plant using a double pipe heat exchanger. Cooling media such as river water and ionic liquid-water mixtures were compared, specifically water-saturated quaternary phosphonium-based carboxylate ionic liquids were considered in this work. Ionic liquids generally have high thermal stability, resist degradation, and provide higher temperatures at low vapor pressures and for these reasons, ionic liquids can be a good substitute for conventional heat transfer fluids. At each condition, the performance of the ionic liquid mixture was compared with that of water. For the designated cooling application, the performance of water was much better than the ionic liquid mixtures.

Rheological and Microbiological Characteristics of Hops and Hot Trub Particles Formed during Beer Production

During the production of beer, and especially beer wort, the main wastes are spent grain and hot trub, i.e., the so-called "hot break." Combined with yeast after fermentation, they represent the most valuable wastes. Hot trub is also one of the most valuable by-products. Studies on the chemical composition of these sediments and their rheological properties as waste products will contribute to their effective disposal and even further use as valuable pharmaceutical and cosmetic raw materials. So far, hot trub has been studied for morphology and particle distribution depending on the raw material composition and beer wort extract. However, there are no preliminary studies on the rheological properties of hot trub and hops. In particular, no attention has yet been paid to the dependence of these properties on the hop variety or different protein sources used. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of different hopping methods on hot trub viscosity and beer wort physicochemical parameters. Additionally, the hop solutions were measured at different temperatures. A microbiological analysis of hop sediments was also performed to determine the post-process survival of selected microorganisms in these wastes. For manufacturers of pumps used in the brewing industry, the most convenient material is that of the lowest viscosity. Low viscosity hot trub can be removed at lower velocities, which reduces costs and simplifies washing and transport. The sediments also had similar equilibrium viscosity values at high shear rates.

Optimization of Thermophysical and Rheological Properties of Mxene Ionanofluids for Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic/Thermal Systems

Since technology progresses, the need to optimize the thermal system's heat transfer efficiency is continuously confronted by researchers. A primary constraint in the production of heat transfer fluids needed for ultra-high performance was its intrinsic poor heat transfer properties. MXene, a novel 2D nanoparticle possessing fascinating properties has emerged recently as a potential heat dissipative solute in nanofluids. In this research, 2D MXenes (Ti3C2) are synthesized via chemical etching and blended with a binary solution containing Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and ionic liquid (IL) to formulate stable nanofluids at concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 wt%. Furthermore, the effect of different temperatures on the studied liquid's thermophysical characteristics such as thermal conductivity, density, viscosity, specific heat capacity, thermal stability and the rheological property was experimentally conducted. A computational analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of ionic liquid-based 2D MXene nanofluid (Ti3C2/DEG+IL) in hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems. A 3D numerical model is developed to evaluate the thermal efficiency, electrical efficiency, heat transfer coefficient, pumping power and temperature distribution. The simulations proved that the studied working fluid in the PV/T system results in an enhancement of thermal efficiency, electrical efficiency and heat transfer coefficient by 78.5%, 18.7% and 6%, respectively.

Thermophysical Properties of Nanofluids Composed of Ethylene Glycol and Long Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

In this work, thermal conductivity, viscosity, isobaric heat capacity, and density of stable carbon-based nanofluids are presented. The nanofluids under study are composed of 1,2-ethanediol (ethylene glycol, EG) and long multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), so-called ‘in-house 16h’ (synthesized in our laboratory via catalytic chemical vapor deposition during 16 h with a diameter of 60–80 nm and length of 770 μm). Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) was used to increase the stability of nanofluids. The nanofluids were prepared via an ultrasonication-assisted, three-step method while their key thermophysical characteristics were obtained using the hot-wire technique and rotary viscometer. As a result, the addition of MWCNTs significantly improved the thermal conductivity of nanofluids by 31.5% for the highest 1.0 wt% (0.498 vol%) long MWCNT content, leaving the Newtonian character of the nanofluids practically intact.

Remarkable Thermal Conductivity Enhancement in Carbon-Based Ionanofluids: Effect of Nanoparticle Morphology

Transfer of the excellent intrinsic properties of individual carbon nanoparticles into real-life applications of the corresponding heat transfer fluids remains challenging. This process requires identification and quantification of the nanoparticle-liquid interface. Here, for the first time, we have determined geometry and properties of this interface by applying transmission electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-TEM). We have systematically investigated how the particle morphology of carbon-based nanomaterials affected the thermal conductivity, specific isobaric heat capacity, thermal diffusivity, density, and viscosity of ionanofluids and/or bucky gels, using a wide range of fillers, especially single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), both with extreme values of aspect ratio (length to diameter ratio) from 150 to 11 000. Accordingly, hybrid systems composed of various carbon nanomaterials and ionic liquid, namely 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate [EMIM][SCN], were prepared and characterized. Most of the analyzed nanodispersions exhibited long-term stability even without any surfactant. Our study revealed that the thermal conductivity could be remarkably improved to the maximum values of 43.9% and 67.8% for ionanofluid and bucky gel (at 1 wt % loadings of MWCNTs and SWCNTs), respectively, compared to the pristine ionic liquid. As a result, the model proposed by Murshed and co-workers has been improved for realistic description of the concentration-dependent thermal conductivity of such hybrid systems. The obtained results undoubtedly indicate the potential of ionanofluids and bucky gels for energy management.