Thermal conductivity measurement of VO2 nanofluid using bidirectional 3 omega method

Abstract

Nanofluids containing vanadium dioxide (VO2) are used in applications such as actuators, smart windows, and gastrointestinal tracts. Therefore, measuring the thermal conductivity of nanofluids with VO2 characteristics is important in various environmental industries. In this study, the bidirectional 3 omega (3 omega) method was used to measure the thermal conductivity of nanofluids. Experimental equipment for measuring VO2 nanofluids in various environments was designed and fabricated. The effectiveness of the bidirectional 3 omega equipment was verified by measuring the thermal conductivity of ethylene glycol, which has been extensively reported in the literature. The effects of elapsed time, specimen thickness, and operation temperature on the thermal conductivity are discussed in this paper. In addition, the measuring error was investigated with regard to the precipitation of particles in the suspension.