Nanofluid coolant

Abstract

Technologies are generally described for forming a nanofluid coolant and structures including a nanofluid coolant. In an example, a method of forming a nanofluid coolant may comprise combining a compound with an acid and with purified water to form a solution. The compound may include manganese. The method may further include heating the solution and, after heating the solution, cooling the solution effective to form at least one precipitate that includes manganese and oxygen. The method may further include filtering the at least one precipitate to form a powder that includes manganese oxide nanotubes. The method may further include functionalizing the nanotubes by irradiating them with UV radiation. The method may further include combining the functionalized manganese oxide nanotubes with a polar solvent to form the nanofluid coolant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system effective to form a nanofluid, the system comprising:
 a first container configured to receive a solution, wherein the solution includes a compound, an acid, and purified water, and wherein the compound includes manganese;   an oven arranged in operative relationship with the first container, the oven configured to receive the solution, and heat the solution to form at least one precipitate, wherein the at least one precipitate includes manganese, oxygen, and manganese oxide nanotubes;   a filter arranged in operative relationship with the oven, wherein the filter is configured to receive and filter the at least one precipitate to form a powder, wherein the powder includes at least some of the manganese oxide nanotubes;   a radiation source arranged in operative relationship with the filter, the radiation source configured effective to irradiate the powder with electromagnetic radiation effective to form functionalized manganese oxide nanotubes; and   a second container arranged in operative relationship with the filter, the second container configured to receive the powder and combine the manganese oxide nanotubes with a polar solvent to form the nanofluid coolant.   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first container is configured effective to receive the solution, and the second container is configured effective to combine the manganese oxide nanotubes with the polar solvent, such that a volume percentage of manganese oxide nanotubes relative to polar solvent is in a range between about 0.0001 volume % and about 0.1 volume %. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the polar solvent comprises de-ionized water;   a thermal conductivity of the nanofluid is in a range of between about 0.635 W/m K and about 0.67 W/m K at a temperature in a range of about 27 degrees Celsius to about 32 degrees Celsius; and   an electrical conductivity of the nanofluid is in a range of about 6 μS/cm to about 8 μS/cm at a temperature in a range of about 27 degrees Celsius to about 32 degrees Celsius.   
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the polar solvent comprises ethylene glycol;   a thermal conductivity of the nanofluid is in a range of between about 0.252 W/m K and about 0.274 W/m K at a temperature in a range of about 27 degrees Celsius to about 32 degrees Celsius; and   an electrical conductivity of the nanofluid is in a range of about 1.23 μS/cm to about 1.95 μS/cm at a temperature of in a range of about 27 degrees Celsius to about 32 degrees Celsius.   
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the polar solvent comprises one or more of de-ionized water, ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. 
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength in a range of about 100 nm to about 400 nm, and the manganese oxide nanotubes are irradiated for a time interval in a range of about 1 hour to about 7 hours. 
     
     
         7 . A nanofluid comprising:
 functionalized manganese oxide nanotubes; and   a polar solvent.   
     
     
         8 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the manganese oxide nanotubes are functionalized by electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength in a range of about 100 nm to about 400 nm, and the manganese oxide nanotubes are irradiated for a time interval in a range of about 1 hour to about 7 hours. 
     
     
         9 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 7 , wherein a volume percentage of the functionalized manganese oxide nanotubes in the nanofluid is in a range between about 0.0001 volume % and about 0.1 volume %. 
     
     
         10 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 7 , wherein:
 a volume percentage of the functionalized manganese oxide nanotubes in the nanofluid is in a range between about 0.0001 volume % and about 0.1 volume %; and   the polar solvent comprises one or more of de-ionized water, ethylene glycol or propylene glycol.   
     
     
         11 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the manganese oxide nanotubes are hollow and have at least two physical dimensions, where each physical dimension is between about 1 nm and about 100 nm. 
     
     
         12 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the nanotubes have a tube shape with a diameter in a range of about 25 nm to about 100 nm, a length in a range of about 1 mm to about 10 mm and/or an aspect ratio of about 10 to about 100. 
     
     
         13 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 7 , wherein an electrical conductivity of the nanofluid is in a range between about 5 μS/cm and about 15 μS/cm. 
     
     
         14 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 7 , wherein:
 the polar solvent comprises de-ionized water;   a thermal conductivity of the nanofluid is in a range of between about 0.635 W/m K and about 0.67 W/m K at a temperature in a range of about 27 degrees Celsius to about 32 degrees Celsius; and   an electrical conductivity of the nanofluid is in a range of about 6 μS/cm to about 8 μS/cm at a temperature in a range of about 27 degrees Celsius to about 32 degrees Celsius.   
     
     
         15 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 7 , wherein:
 the polar solvent comprises ethylene glycol;   a thermal conductivity of the nanofluid is in a range of between about 0.252 W/m K and about 0.274 W/m K at a temperature in a range of about 27 degrees Celsius to about 32 degrees Celsius; and   an electrical conductivity of the nanofluid is in a range of about 1.23 μS/cm to about 1.95 μS/cm at a temperature of in a range of about 27 degrees Celsius to about 32 degrees Celsius.   
     
     
         16 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the functionalized manganese oxide nanotubes are functionalized with an OH group. 
     
     
         17 . A nanofluid comprising:
 functionalized manganese oxide nanotubes; and   a polar solvent wherein:
 an electrical conductivity of the nanofluid is greater than about 53% of the electrical conductivity of the polar solvent at a temperature in a range of about 23 degrees Celsius to about 52 degrees Celsius; 
 a thermal conductivity of the nanofluid is greater than about 45% of the thermal conductivity of the polar solvent at a temperature in a range of about 23 degrees Celsius to about 52 degrees Celsius; and 
 a volume percentage of the functionalized manganese oxide nanotubes in the nanofluid is less than about 0.04 volume %. 
   
     
     
         18 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the polar solvent comprises one or more of de-ionized water, ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. 
     
     
         19 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the manganese oxide nanotubes are functionalized by electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength in a range of about 100 nm to about 400 nm, and the manganese oxide nanotubes are irradiated for a time interval in a range of about 1 hour to about 7 hours. 
     
     
         20 . The nanofluid as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the functionalized manganese oxide nanotubes are functionalized with an OH group.