Nitrate salt-based nanofluids for thermal energy storage

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Thesis Highlights

1. The study presented results on nanofluids based on nitrate salts, focusing on their behavior, current state of research, potential as thermal storage fluids, and the underlying mechanisms contributing to modifications in heat capacity.
2. Both experimental and computational analyses revealed the formation of a foamy-like phase resulting from liquid layering around nanoparticles’ surfaces.
3. Nitrate salt-based nanofluids were found to exhibit bi-phasic characteristics due to interactions between nanoparticles and the ionic medium, leading to the creation of a “foamy-like” phase characterized by a high specific area and high heat capacity.
4. Characterizing nanofluids poses challenges due to difficulties in obtaining representative samples with optimal concentrations and, importantly, achieving homogeneous dispersion of the nanoparticles.
5. Extensive sampling study showed variations in Cp increase, ranging from -20 to 80%, within the same sample collections. This deviation in ΔCp supports previous literature findings, suggesting that the lack of an adequate methodology for characterization and sample representation is a significant source of error.

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