Ferrofluid Heat Transfer

This web lesson gives the theoretical underpinnings for fluid flow and the enhancement of heat transfer by means of ferrofluid convection. The work was performed at the University of Washington in the Department of Chemical Engineering . Results were derived using MATLAB, FEMLAB, and a special version of FIDAP, modified for a ferrofluid. Our expertise is being able to model situations that cannot be solved analytically, thus opening to investigation the many diverse flow fields that are possible with magnetic fluids. We do simulations of laminar and turbuent flow, and heat transfer, with constant, variable, or time-varying magnetic fields. Physcal properties are described in:

Physical Properties , general discussion of methods, values.

Measurement of Thermal Conductivity (Matt Bernards, Senior Ch.E., 2001)

  • Example heat transfer results are shown in:

    Heat Transfer in Box

    Heat Transfer in 2D Model Transformer

    Equations

    The personnel involved in the flow study are:

    • Inga Sellien, a Fulbright Scholar from Germany, 2000-01
    • Kris Schmacher, a graduate student in chemical engineering, 2000-
    • Haijun Sun, a graduate student in chemical engineering, 2000-
    • Matt Bernards, undergraduate researcher, BS, 2001
    • Bruce A. Finlayson Rehnberg Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington
  • The personnel involved in the heat transfer project were:
    • Chittin Tangthieng, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, 1997-98
    • Suzanne Snyder, a graduate student in chemical engineering, 1997-99
    • Satashi Mitarai, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, Autumn, 1999
    • Bruce A. Finlayson Rehnberg Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington
    • Dr. Tahir Cader, Isothermal Systems Research, Clarkson, WA
    • Dr. Stuart G. Knoke, Energy International, Inc.

    Support, encouragement, and direction is given by:

    Presentations of this material have been, or or being given at:

    • Heat Transfer Enhancement in Ferrofluids subjected to Steady Magnetic Fields, by Chittin Tangthieng, Bruce A. Finlayson, John Maulbetsch, and Tahir Cader, Eighth Internatioinal Conference on Magnetic Fluids, June 29-July 3, 1998, Timisoara, ROMANIA

    • Particle-Liquid Dynamics of a Heated Ferrofluid in a Rotating Magnetic Field, by Suzanne Snyder, Bruce A. Finlayson, John S. Maulbetsch, Stuart G. Knoke, and Tahir Cader, 7th International Symposium on Liquid-Solid Flows, Joint ASME-JSME Summer Meeting, July 18-23, 1998, San Francisco, CA.

    • Heat Transfer Involving an Asymmetric Stress Tensor in a Ferrofluid, by Bruce A. Finlayson, AIChE meeting, Dalls, TX, Nov. 4, 1999.

    Send comments to finlayson@cheme.washington.edu

    Other connections of possible interest include: