Heat generation/absorption effect on natural convective heat transfer in a wavy triangular cavity filled with nanofluid

Abstract

This study is numerically executed to investigate the influence of heat generation or absorption on free convective flow and temperature transport within a wavy triangular enclosure filled by the nanofluid taking the Brownian effect of nanoparticles. The water (H2O) is employed as base fluid and copper (Cu) as nanoparticles for making effective Cu–H2O nanofluids. The perpendicular sinusoidally wavy wall is cooled at low temperature while the horizontal bottom sidewall is heated non-uniformly (sinusoidal). The inclined wall of the enclosure is insulated. The governing dimensionless non-linear PDEs are executed numerically with the help of the Galerkin weighted residual type finite element technique. The numerically simulated results are displayed through average Nusselt number, isothermal contours, and streamlines for the various model parameters such as Hartmann number, Rayleigh number, heat generation or absorption parameter, nanoparticles volume fraction, and undulation parameter. The outcomes illustrate that the temperature transport rate augments significantly for the enhancement of Rayleigh number as well as nanoparticles volume fraction whereas reduces for the increment of Hartman number. The heat transfer is significantly influenced by the size, shape, and Brownian motion of the nanoparticles. The rate of heat transport increases by 20.43% considering the Brownian effect for 1% nanoparticle volume. The thermal performance increases by 8.66% for the blade shape instead of the spherical shape of nanoparticles. In addition, heat transfer is impacted by the small size of nanoparticles. The thermal transport rate increases by 35.87% when the size of the nanoparticles reduces from 100 to 10 nm. Moreover, the rate of heat transmission increases efficiently as the undulation parameter rises. It is also seen that a crucial factor in the flow of nanofluids and heat transmission is the heat generation/absorption parameter that influences temperature distribution, heat transfer rates, and overall thermal performance.