Entropy analysis of electromagnetic trihybrid nanofluid flow with temperature-dependent viscosity in a Darcy-Forchheimer porous medium over a stretching sheet under convective conditions

Abstract

This study introduces a novel theoretical model known as the trihybrid nanofluid (THNF), which demonstrates remarkable thermal conductivity properties to enhance heat transfer in liquids. The base liquid (H2O) was employed to immerse nanoparticles of Cu, Al2O3, and TiO2, thereby resulting in the creation of a THNF (Cu + Al2O3 + TiO2/H2O). This research focuses on the entropy generation of electromagnetic THNF flow in a Darcy-Forchheimer porous medium over a stretching sheet under convective conditions. The analysis considers the intricate interplay between various factors, including convection, radiation, heat source, chemical processes, and cross-diffusion effects. Complex partial differential equations for flow, energy, and concentration are transformed into nonlinear ordinary differential equations using similarity transformations. The Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg method with a shooting mechanism is used to solve these ODEs. The comprehensive graphical analysis visually exemplifies the impact of significant parameters on the profiles of velocity, temperature, and concentration, in conjunction with skin friction, Nusselt, and Sherwood numbers. The flow velocity decreased by 8.89 % in NFs with higher viscosity and Darcy-Forchheimer porous medium values, but it accelerated by 13.64 % in THNF with more convection. Electric fields boost THNF velocity and temperature by 20.94 % and 14.27 % respectively, while stronger magnetic fields reduce NF velocity by 15.34 % and elevate THNF temperature by 7.52 %. THNFs show the largest temperature increase of 18.67 % due to radiation, while it decreases by more than 7.51 % for NFs with an increasing Prandtl number. NP concentration drops by 10.19 % when Schmidt and chemical reactions increase. Elevating electric and magnetic fields can reduce heat transfer by 4.78 % and entropy generation by at least 6.45 % in NFs, while increasing the Bejan number by up to 18.83 % in THNFs. Radiation and diffusion increase the entropy generation by 6.71 % and decrease the Bejan number by 7.98 %.