| Posted: March 11, 2010 |
Nanotechnology to make high tech industry cool |
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(Nanowerk News) Thermacore Europe is leading an €8.3m pan-European project called NanoHex, to develop a cutting edge liquid coolant that incorporates purpose engineered nano-particles for more efficient cooling.
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Involving 12 European companies and research centres, NanoHex is the world’s largest collaborative nanotechnology project. Its aim is to produce a nanofluid coolant up to 40% more efficient than traditional coolants in order to combat the ever increasing heat loads of high-tech industries.
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“Studies show that the dispersal of carefully engineered nanoparticles into a fluid significantly aids heat transfer,” said Mamoun Muhammed, Chair Professor at the Royal Institute of Technology Sweden and the Scientific Director NanoHex. ‘And it is this unique property of nanoparticles that NanoHex is looking to harness.’
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Cooling is an issue facing many industries such as microelectronics, transportation, manufacturing and power generation. The project seeks to couple significant technical benefit and commercial viability with environmental friendliness, to produce a nanofluid that can be safely manufactured, applied and recycled for use in a diverse range of applications from computers to engines.
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“Traditional cooling systems using air or water are not always efficient. They can be expensive to run, produce large carbon footprints and limit productivity.” continued Muhammed. “Nanofluids could help to provide a more economic and efficient cooling system in which the heat may be captured and recycled.”
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The three year NanoHex project which began September 1st 2009 received £5.5m from the European Commission’s Framework 7 Programme. Together the 12 strong consortium aims to upscale the manufacturing process to produce large volumes of operational nanofluids in order to take this groundbreaking product to market.
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