Review Article
Advances in Nanofluid-Enhanced Pool and Flow Boiling Heat Transfer: A Comprehensive Review
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
57-80
Received:
24 March 2026
Accepted:
20 July 2026
Published:
17 August 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajmie.20261104.11
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Abstract: Boiling heat transfer is an important thermal management mechanism in power generation, chemical processing, high-heat-flux electronics, refrigeration, nuclear reactors, and automotive systems because it enables large heat removal at comparatively small temperature differences. Nanofluids have emerged as promising working fluids for further improving boiling performance; however, published results remain highly scattered because critical heat flux and heat transfer coefficient depend simultaneously on nanoparticle composition, concentration, stability, surface condition, heater material, mass flux, pressure, vapor quality, and flow regime. This review addresses this gap by critically comparing experimental studies on nanofluid-enhanced pool and flow boiling and by organizing the available evidence according to working fluid, nanoparticle type, heater configuration, operating condition, HTC response, and CHF response. Al2O3 and TiO2 are the most extensively investigated nanoparticles, whereas CuO, SiO2, ZnO, Fe3O4, MgO, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, SiC, and graphite have also shown notable but condition-dependent performance. In pool boiling, reported CHF enhancements reach 200% for Al2O3 and TiO2, 117% for ZnO, 100% for Al2O3-TiO2 combinations, and 60% for SiO2, while HTC improvements include 43% for Fe3O4, 20 to 30% for CuO, 28.7% for carbon nanotubes, and 22% for ZnO. Additional studies report study-specific pool-boiling maxima of 145 to 245% in CHF for reduced-graphene-oxide/water and 75% in HTC for Al2O3/water on smooth surfaces. In flow boiling, CHF enhancements of 100% for graphene oxide, 70% for Al2O3, 35% for SiC, and 13% for Al2O3 Cu are reported, whereas HTC increases reach 126% for ZnO, 86% for Al2O3, 30% for CuO, 27.97% for TiO2, and 23.7% for MgO. The review shows that nanofluid boiling enhancement is governed by coupled fluid-surface-hydrodynamic interactions rather than thermal conductivity alone and identifies standardization, long-term stability, fouling, pressure-drop penalties, and predictive model validation as the principal unresolved challenges, requiring coordinated testing before reliable industrial implementation can be achieved across thermal systems and operating conditions.
Abstract: Boiling heat transfer is an important thermal management mechanism in power generation, chemical processing, high-heat-flux electronics, refrigeration, nuclear reactors, and automotive systems because it enables large heat removal at comparatively small temperature differences. Nanofluids have emerged as promising working fluids for further improvi...
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,
Mohammad Zoynal Abedin*
