Effects of diffusive Reynolds number on electro-osmotic pulsating nanofluid flow

Abstract

We examine pulsating electro-osmotic nanofluid flow phenomena in a microchannel with porous walls. The combined effect of the injected nanofluid velocity and ion diffusion coefficients on the electrical potential formation is considered. A novel boundary condition is introduced so as to examine the effects of electro-osmosis and frictional forces on thermal profiles and nanoparticle volume fractions of nanofluids. Being motivated by the experimental works of Kong et al. [Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 19, 7678 (2017).], this paper aims to extend the study of ion diffusivity in terms of diffusive Reynolds number on nanofluid temperature in the pulsating pressure gradient setting. The semi-analytic differential transform method is used to solve the physical equations, represented as coupled ordinary differential equations, with a special emphasis on the convergence of solutions, which is presented in terms of tables and graphs. The study shows that the nanofluid velocity, temperature, and mass concentration are strongly influenced by the ion diffusion coefficient and the frequency of pulsating pressure gradient. The diffusive Reynolds number significantly influences the electric potential distribution. The velocity and temperature show an increasing trend in terms of diminishing sensitivity parameter. However, nanoparticle concentration increases with an enhancement of the sensitivity parameter. Finally, velocity and temperature increase with a diminution of the Womersley number.