Vapor Generation in a Nanoparticle Liquid Suspension Using a Focused, Continuous Laser

  • Robert A. Taylor
  • , Patrick E. Phelan
  • , Todd Otanicar
  • , Ronald J. Adrian
  • , Ravi S. Prasher

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

57 Scopus citations
1 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This letter discusses experimentation with optically induced phase change in nanoparticle liquid suspensions-commonly termed nanofluids. Four different types of nanofluids at five concentrations were exposed to a ∼120 mW, 532 nm laser beam to determine the minimum laser flux needed to create vapor. Laser irradiance was varied between 0-770 W cm-2. While the experiments were simple, they involved many complex, interrelated physical phenomena, including: subcooled boiling, thermal driven particle/bubble motion, nanoparticle radiative absorption/scattering, and nanoparticle clumping. Such phenomena could enable novel solar collectors in which the working fluid directly absorbs energy and undergoes phase change in a single step.

Original languageAmerican English
Article number161907
JournalApplied Physics Letters
Volume95
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - 19 Oct 2009

EGS Disciplines

  • Mechanical Engineering

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