The world's largest collaborative project for the research and development of nanofluid coolants, NanoHex comprised of a consortium of 12 leading European companies and research centres, funded by a €8.3 million Seventh Framework Programme grant, together with investment from the consortium themselves.
Using promising research results from previous work by the consortium, NanoHex aimed to develop and optimise the processes for the production of high performance nanofluid coolants for use in industrial heat management, as well as an an unprecedented analytical model that will predict the nanofluid's thermal performance.
Nanofluids (i.e. carrier liquids into which particles smaller than 100 nanometers have been dispersed) have shown significantly enhancement of thermal properties in comparison to traditional cooling fluids. Two separate methods were employed to produce purpose designed nanofluids during the project:
- A single-stage process will employ wet chemical synthesis to form and disperse tailored nanoparticles within a carrier fluid and
- a two-stage batch process will add pre-produced nanoparticles to a carrier fluid.
Using both Risk- and Life-Cycle-Assessment approaches, NanoHex also evaluated the impact of nanofluid coolants on envoronmental health and safety. These results formed an important component in assessing the final products overall economic viability.
The project developed two different demonstrators for the cooling of Data Centres and Power Electronic Components, in order to illustrate the viability of using such nanofluids to reduce energy consumption and operating costs, cut carbon emissions, extend product reliability and enable the development of more sustainable processes and products.
Follow this link to find out more about the NanoHEX project.
(Funded by European Commission, FP7)