Advances in nanofluids for tubular heat exchangers: Thermal performance, environmental effects, economics and outlook

Heat transfer deterioration in thermal systems significantly limits the efficiency and practicality of these systems. This review explores state-of-the-art studies on the use of nanofluids (NFs) in various tubular heat exchangers (HEXs), addressing their influence on overcoming the limitations. It discusses the fundamentals of HEXs and NFs, including design criteria, heat transfer mechanisms and thermal transport properties. This work compiles effective thermal conductivity and viscosity correlations under diverse conditions and evaluates NF performance in reactor, flat and helical coiled tube, twisted tube, U-tube and finned tube-based HEXs. Results revealed substantial improvements in system efficiency, with SiC–MWCNT/water NFs achieving 99.9 % absorbance in solar collectors and Ag–rGO/water and Ag–ZnO/silicon oil NFs enhancing efficiency by 210 % and 240 %, respectively. Water–alumina NFs increased convective heat transfer rates and friction factors in flat tube HEXs by 123.6 % and 210 %, respectively. Helical coil exchangers exhibited a pressure drop of 47.35 % with MWCNT/water NFs and a 69.62 % rise in heat transfer coefficient with polyaniline–water NFs. This review suggests that optimising HEX efficiency depends on the strategic use of NFs and finned-tube designs. It also highlights the significance of selecting suitable source materials for NFs, the corresponding health risks, disposal and waste management. Economic viability depends on using optimal flow parameters, including temperature, concentration of nanoparticles, system compactness and installation and running costs. Finally, this review concludes with insights into existing challenges and prospects in thermohydraulic, environmental and economic aspects, pointing to future developments in engineered fluids and their commercial applications.