Feasibility Study of Electrical Generation Concept Based on Magnetic Nanofluid Flows

Abstract

Nanotechnology has been actively applied to energy harvesting technologies by using nanoparticles and nanofluids. It has been proven that the electric power generation could be achieved via ferrohydrodynamics according to Faraday’s law of induction. It is important to control the magnetization direction of magnetic nanoparticles in a base fluid and change the magnetic flux of magnetic nanofluids with time for generating a continuous amount of electric voltage and current via ferrohydrodynamics. In this study, we proposed a novel technique for magnetic nanofluids energy harvesting using a layer-built magnet and microbubble injection. From our experiments, the microbubble in magnetic nanofluids caused time-dependent change of magnetic flux through the coil and the induced voltage was generated in the coil far more effectively according to Faraday’s law of induction. Based on computations, the time-dependent change of magnetic flux through the coil was investigated by the motion of magnetic nanoparticles and microbubbles.