Investigation on the impact of thermal performance of fluid due to hybrid nano-structures

Abstract

This article explores the role of hybrid nano-particles in enhancing the thermal performance of Sutterby fluid over a two-dimensional body of variable thickness. Copper and aluminum oxides are dispersed in the Sutterby liquid simultaneously. The models for effective thermal properties of hybrid nano-fluids (a mixture of copper oxide, aluminum oxide, and Sutterby fluid) are used to model the transport of heat which results in a set of complex mathematical equations for momentum and energy conservation. These equations are solved numerically by finite element method (FEM). FEM methodology is tested and validated. An excellent agreement between the present and the published benchmarks is found. The parametric investigation is carried out, and a significant improvement in the thermal performance of Sutterby fluid due to hybrid nano-particles (copper oxide and aluminum trioxide) is observed. The wall heat flux for hybrid nano-Sutterby fluid (a mixture of cupper oxide, aluminum trioxide and Sutterby fluid) is significantly found to be greater than the thermal performance of a mixture of aluminum trioxide and the Sutterby fluid. The present work is a generalization of already published works. Therefore, the present work is retrieved into the previous special cases and the results are validated by comparing it with already published works. A good agreement between the present and the already published work is found. The wall shear stress and rate of heat transport increase when the Reynolds and the Deborah numbers are increased.