Electrokinetic energy conversion of power-law fluids in a slit nanochannel beyond Debye-Hückel linearization

Zhiyong Xie and Yongjun Jian

Energy, 2022, vol. 252, issue C

Abstract: Electrokinetic energy conversion of power-law fluids is analyzed in a slit nanochannel. Electrical potential distribution is considered without Debye-Hückel linear approximation. The general analytical expressions of flow velocity and streaming potential are obtained for arbitrary power-law behavior indexes. Due to the strongly nonlinear constitutive relation of power-law fluids, the energy conversion efficiency is analyzed numerically. Results show that the electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency can be underestimated for the same physics parameters, when the Debye-Hückel linear approximation is applied. The conversion efficiency of pseudoplastic fluids is larger than that of dilatant and Newtonian fluids. The maximum in conversion efficiency of pseudoplastic fluids (n = 0.8) is about 5% and it is more than 78% than that of dilatant fluids (n = 1.2). Finally, the optimal flow parameters exist and such optimal values can be used to design an energy converter with high conversion efficiency.

Keywords: Electrokinetic energy; Power-law fluids; High zeta potential; Nanochannels (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:252:y:2022:i:c:s036054422200932x

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2022.124029

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