A review on the flow instability of nanofluids

Nanofluid flow occurs in extensive applications, and hence has received widespread attention. The transition of nanofluids from laminar to turbulent flow is an important issue because of the differences in pressure drop and heat transfer between laminar and turbulent flow. Nanofluids will become unstable when they depart from the thermal equilibrium or dynamic equilibrium state. This paper conducts a brief review of research on the flow instability of nanofluids, including hydrodynamic instability and thermal instability. Some open questions on the subject are also identified.