Rotational flow of Oldroyd-B nanofluid subject to Cattaneo-Christov double diffusion theory

Abstract

A nanofluid is composed of a base fluid component and nanoparticles, in which the nanoparticles are dispersed in the base fluid. The addition of nanoparticles into a base fluid can remarkably improve the thermal conductivity of the nanofluid, and such an increment of thermal conductivity can play an important role in improving the heat transfer rate of the base fluid. Further, the dynamics of non-Newtonian fluids along with nanoparticles is quite interesting with numerous industrial applications. The present predominately predictive modeling studies the flow of the viscoelastic Oldroyd-B fluid over a rotating disk in the presence of nanoparticles. A progressive amendment in the heat and concentration equations is made by exploiting the Cattaneo-Christov heat and mass flux expressions. The characteristic of the Lorentz force due to the magnetic field applied normal to the disk is studied. The Buongiorno model together with the Cattaneo-Christov theory is implemented in the Oldroyd-B nanofluid flow to investigate the heat and mass transport mechanism. This theory predicts the characteristics of the fluid thermal and solutal relaxation time on the boundary layer flow. The von Karman similarity functions are utilized to convert the partial differential equations (PDEs) into ordinary differential equations (ODEs). A homotopic approach for obtaining the analytical solutions to the governing nonlinear problem is carried out. The graphical results are obtained for the velocity field, temperature, and concentration distributions. Comparisons are made for a limiting case between the numerical and analytical solutions, and the results are found in good agreement. The results reveal that the thermal and solutal relaxation time parameters diminish the temperature and concentration distributions, respectively. The axial flow decreases in the downward direction for higher values of the retardation time parameter. The impact of the thermophoresis parameter boosts the temperature distribution.