Recent progresses in tri-hybrid nanofluids: A comprehensive review on preparation, stability, thermo-hydraulic properties, and applications

In the twenty-first century, nanofluids have garnered increasing scientific attention compared to traditional fluids due to their predominant thermo-hydraulic characteristics. Therefore, nanofluids have become promising working fluids for heat transfer, energy conservation, and applications in biomedical fields. The demand for nanofluids drives researchers to introduce hybrid nanofluid, which has better heat transfer advantages compared to single nanofluid. Recently researchers developed tri-hybrid nanofluids, also called ternary hybrid nanofluids, which are prepared by suspending three different types of nanoparticles in a mixture. This comprehensive review focuses on tri-hybrid nanofluids, covering their nanoparticles and base fluids, preparation processes, stability, microscopic evaluation, thermo-hydraulic properties, and applications. After a thorough analysis of the literature, this review reveals that tri-hybrid nanofluids exhibit superior performance in terms of thermal and hydraulic characteristics (e.g., a 27 - 84 % enhancement in thermal conductivity compared to base fluids). Additionally, tri-hybrid nanofluids showed increasing viscosity and density with increased volume concentration, while specific heat capacity decreased. These advantages of tri-hybrid nanofluids result in significant improvements in various applications, including heat transfer, biomedical research, cutting fluids, and energy transportation.