Investigation of thermal properties of ethylene glycol-based Williamson hybrid-nanofluid over stretchable/shrinking flat plate and their effects on solar panels

Abstract

The global requirement for sustainable energy supply to enhance industrial productivity and reduce production costs has focused researchers’ attention to renewable energy in recent years. Solar energy mitigates the dangers connected with the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation. This work is set to evaluate the heat transmission capacities of Williamson hybrid nanofluid flow across a flat plate with viscous dissipation and heat source. The mathematical model explaining the flow interaction of Williamson hybrid nanofluid, combining viscous dissipation, heat source, and temperature-variation thermal conductivity and viscosity, is created using conservation laws. The specified system of non-linear coupled partial differential equations undergoes non-similarity transformation. The resulting non-dimensional model is solved using the bivariate spectral weighted residual method. The accuracy of the method is proven by comparing obtained results with those in the literature, and a good agreement is observed. Graphs are utilized to explain the thermophysical properties that are being considered. The results show that the fluid temperature rises when there is a source of heating and viscous dissipation. The velocity and the fluid parameter (We) have an inverse connection, whereas the temperature of the fluid has the opposite impact. Moreover, when nanoparticles are present, the thermal boundary layer rises along with the nanoparticles, thickening the velocity boundary layer and decreasing fluid velocity. Findings also show that for the Vd∈[0.1,0.5], the skin drag force and Nusselt number retard by 0.64%,14.06% for the shrinking sheet and 0.21%,6.57% for the stretching sheet respectively. In the same vein, an 100% surge in the porosity parameter escalate the skin friction coefficient by 19.13% and 26.91% and the Nusselt number by 4.92% and 2.06% respectively for both the contracting and elastic sheet. The findings in the research will provide more insight in the design and improvement of solar panel plate efficiency.