Magneto-bioconvection flow in a porous annulus between circular cylinders containing oxytactic microorganisms and NEPCM

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate magnetic impacts on bioconvection flow within a porous annulus between an outer cylinder and five inner cylinders. The annulus is filled by oxytactic microorganisms and nano-encapsulated phase change materials.Design/methodology/approachThe modified ISPH method based on the time-fractional derivative is applied to solve the regulating equations in Lagrangian dimensionless forms. The pertinent factors are bioconvection Rayleigh number Rab (1–100), circular cylinder’s radius Rc (0.1–0.3), fractional time derivative α (0.95–1), Darcy parameter Da (10−5–10−2), nanoparticle parameter ϕ (0–0.1), Hartmann number Ha (0–50), Lewis number Le (1–20), Peclet number Pe (0.1–0.75), s (0.1–0.9), number of cylinders NCylinders (1–4), Rayleigh number Ra (103–106) and fusion temperature θf (0.005–0.9).FindingsThe simulations revealed that there is a strong enhancement in the velocity field according to an increase in Rab. The intensity and location of the phase zone change in response to changes in θf. The time-fractional derivative a acting on a nanofluid velocity and flow characteristics in an annulus. The number of embedded cylinders NCylinders is playing a significant role in the cooling processes and as NCylinders increases from 1 to 4, the velocity field’s maximum reduces by almost 33.3%.Originality/valueThe novelty of this study is examining the impacts of the magnetic field and the presence of several numbers of embedded cylinders on bioconvection flow within a porous annulus between an outer cylinder and five inner cylinders.