Entropy generation of nanofluid flow and heat transfer driven through a paralleled microchannel

Abstract

In this paper, a fully-developed, immiscible nanofluid flow in a paralleled microchannel in the presence of a magnetic field is investigated. Buongiorno’s model is applied to describe the behaviors of the nanofluid flow. Different from most previous studies on microchannel flow, here the pressure term is considered as unknown, which makes the current model compatible with the commonly accepted channel flow models. The influences of various physical parameters on important physical quantities are given. The entropy generation analysis is performed. Variations of local and global entropy generations with the magnetic field parameter, the electric field, and the viscous dissipation parameter under various ratios of the thermophoresis parameter to the Brownian motion parameter are illustrated. The results indicate that the entropy generation rate strongly depends on the thermophoresis and the Brownian motion parameters. Their increase enhances the total irreversibility of entropy generation.