The performance of a γ-Al2O3/n-decane nanofluid shell-and-tube heat exchanger in a biomass heating plant is analyzed to specify the optimum condition based on the maximum heat transfer rate and performance index for wide range of nanoparticle volume fraction (0–7%). Compared with pure n-decane, the obtained results in this research show that by using γ-Al2O3/n-decane nanofluid as coolant at optimum values of particle volume concentration for maximum heat transfer rate (ϕ=0.021) and for maximum performance index (ϕ=0.006), the heat transfer rate and pumping power increased by 10.84%, 13.18% and 6.72%, 2.3%, respectively. Increasing particles concentration raises the fluid viscosity, decreases the Reynolds number and consequently decreases the heat transfer coefficient. As a result, determining the optimum value of the particle volume fraction of nanofluid as the working fluid, can improve the performance of shell-and-tube heat exchangers.
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