Numerical simulation of hybrid nanofluid (Cu/Al2O3-water) flow in a porous enclosure with heated corners and non-Fourier heat flux

Abstract

The current model manifests the characteristics of hybrid nanofluid (copper/aluminium oxide-water) flow within an enclosure saturated with a porous medium by adopting the non-Fourier heat flux model. In this model, the permeable enclosure is deemed to be heated by a four-sided corner heater. Besides the corners, the centre region of the upper and lower walls of the square enclosure is thermally insulated whereas the centre region of the left and right walls maintains an invariant temperature. The momentum and energy equations with boundary conditions are dimensionalized by using the appropriate non-similar quantities. The nondimensionalized governing equations along with the boundary conditions are solved by adopting the marker and cell technique. The present results are in good accordance with the earlier literature results which indicates that the adopted scheme is computationally significant. The pertinent parameters that arise from the flow field equations such as heat generation/absorption parameter, thermal relaxation parameter, Darcy number, Rayleigh number, length of constant/adiabatic temperature portion, and length of heat source position are visualized through streamlines and isotherms. Results indicate that the magnifications in the heat generation parameter have the propensity to amplify the local heat transfer rate. An amplification in the thermal relaxation parameter enhances the heat transfer rate. The impact of the cold and hot regions of the enclosure notably influences the fluid temperature within the enclosure. The strength of the streamlines is slightly lessened by enhancing the Darcy number. Natural convective hybrid nanofluid flow inside the porous cavity has a vital role in various engineering and industrial processes, for instance, extrusion of polymers and aerodynamic extrusion.