Numerical investigation of SWCNT–H₂O nanofluid and core topology effects on the thermal and moisture performance of sandwich panels

作者：Shuangcen Li, P C Zhang, Meysam Mahmoudi · 发表于：Scientific Reports · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1038/s41598-026-58976-z · 研究领域：Phase Change Materials Research、Nanofluid Flow and Heat Transfer、Hygrothermal properties of building materials

This study presents a numerical analysis of the combined influence of SWCNT-H₂O nanofluid concentration and core topology on thermal performance, using ANSYS Fluent and the Finite Volume Method (FVM). Five core materials-Polyurethane (PU), Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride (UPVC), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), and Glass Wool (GW)-were analyzed under laminar flow and constant heat flux conditions ranging from 35 to 350 kW/m². The continuity, momentum, and energy equations were discretized using a second-order upwind scheme, with convergence thresholds of 10⁻⁷ for the continuity and momentum equations and 10⁻⁹ for the energy equation. This study presents a coupled multi-physics numerical analysis of SWCNT-H₂O nanofluid-cooled sandwich panels, simultaneously evaluating thermal transport, hydraulic behavior, and moisture diffusion within a unified finite volume framework. Unlike conventional investigations focusing on isolated thermo-hydraulic or hygrothermal effects, the present work quantifies the interacting mechanisms governing convective heat-transfer enhancement, conductive insulation resistance, and moisture stability across multiple core materials. Furthermore, entropy generation and Bejan number analyses are incorporated to reveal thermodynamic trade-offs and irreversibility characteristics, providing deeper insight into performance optimization. The study reveals a non-intuitive trade-off: materials providing higher thermal insulation do not alw...