Enhanced thermal effectiveness for electrokinetically driven peristaltic flow of motile gyrotactic microorganisms in a thermally radiative Powell Eyring nanofluid flow with mass transfer

Abstract

Entropy generation is a novel perspective in many thermodynamic processes and presents dynamic applications for optimizing heat transfer. In addition, the presence of microorganisms increases the stability of the liquid, which plays a key role in biotechnology, bio microsystems and bio nano cooling systems. In connection with such thermal applications, present exploration is dedicated to the analysis of thermodynamic and mass transfer of a thermally radiative Powell-Eyring magneto nanofluid with gyrotactic microorganisms, which is facilitated through two pumping mechanisms, i.e., electroosmotic pumping (electrokinetic forces) and peristaltic pumping. It is assumed that the viscosity of a liquid depends on temperature and concentration. The study considers the impacts of variable thermal conductivity, thermophoresis, porous medium, electric field, bioconvection, thermal radiation, Brownian motion, magnetic field, Joule heating and viscous dissipation. The Helmholtz-Smoluchowski model is used to describe the electroosmosis processes. The mathematical model includes highly non-linear PDE system, which turns into an ODE and then solved numerically under lubrication approximation. The main result shows that the rate of irreversibility can be minimized by increasing the viscosity parameter. Electroosmotic phenomenon upsurges the rate of heat transport. A reverse trend holds for temperature by increasing the values of radiation parameter and Darcy number. The Brownian motion parameter has a progressive effect on the concentration profile. Further, Peclet number lowers the mobile microorganism’s density.