A modified model for thermal conductivity of carbon nanotube-nanofluids

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the most valuable materials with high thermal conductivity (above 1750 W/m K compared to thermal conductivity of Ag 419 W/m K). Owing to their very high thermal conductivity, CNTs are one of the most suitable nanoadditives in fabricating the nanofluid with thermal conductivities that are significantly higher than those of the parent liquids even when the CNTs’ concentrations are negligible. This work presents a modified model for predicting the thermal conductivity of carbon nanotube-nanofluids (CNT-nanofluids), which take into consideration the effects of size, volume fraction, and thermal conductivity of CNTs as well as the properties of base liquid. The modified model is found to correctly predict the trends observed in experimental data for different combinations of CNT-nanofluids with varying concentrations.