Investigation of magnetohydrodynamics in Ag-TiO₂/water hybrid nanofluid in a Shamse knot shaped cavity

Abstract

Purpose

The nanofluid natural convection heat transfer in a hollow complex enclosure, which is named as Shamse knot shape, is studied numerically. This paper aims to present how the Rayleigh number, nanoparticle volume fraction, Hartmann number and hollow side length affect the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

The continuity, momentum and energy equations have been solved using lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Numerical simulation has been obtained for a wide range of Rayleigh number (10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁶), nanoparticle volume fraction (0 ≤ ϕ 0.05) and Hartmann number (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 60) to analyze the fluid flow pattern and heat transfer characteristics. Moreover, the effect of hollow side length (D) on flow field and thermal performance is studied.

Findings

The results showed that the magnetic field has a negative effect on the thermal performance and the average Nusselt number decreases by increasing the Hartmann number. Because of the high conduction heat transfer coefficient of nanoparticles, the average Nusselt number increases by rising the nanoparticle volume fraction. The effect of adding nanoparticles on heat transfer is more effective at low nanoparticle volume fraction (0 ≤ ϕ ≤ 0.01). It was also found that at Ra = 10⁶, when the hollow side length increases to 3, the flow pattern becomes different due to the small gap. The averaged Nu is an increasing function of D at low Ra and an opposite trend occurs at high Rayleigh number.

Originality/value

For the first time, the effects of magnetic field, Rayleigh number, nanoparticle volume fraction and hollow side length on natural convection heat transfer of hybrid nanofluid (Ag-TiO₂/water) is investigated in a complicated cavity.

Citation

Ma, Y., Rashidi, M.M., Mohebbi, R. and Yang, Z. (2021), "Investigation of magnetohydrodynamics in Ag-TiO₂/water hybrid nanofluid in a Shamse knot shaped cavity", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 251-272. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-12-2019-0909