Stratified thermosolutal Marangoni bioconvective flow of gyrotactic microorganisms in Williamson nanofluid

Abstract

This work highlights the influence of the Marangoni effect on the bioconvective flow of gyrotactic microorganisms in a non-Newtonian nanofluid flow over a permeable inclined plate in a stratified medium. The Williamson fluid model is considered for characterization of the non-Newtonian fluid. The consequences of the bioconvection flow due to the presence of frictional heating, Arrheniusactivation energy, and thermal radiation with binary chemical reaction are examined. Under some meaningful consideration, the proposed physical phenomenon is described mathematically in terms of nonlinear partial differential equations. A suitable set of similarity transformations is adapted to transform the governing equations into coupled nonlinear differential equations. Thereafter, the Runge–Kutta Fehlberg method is employed to solve the nonlinear differential equations for different values of crucial flow influencing parameters. Finally, graphical illustrations are made on the different non-dimensional flow characteristics and important quantities of physical interest namely, local Nusselt number, local Sherwood number, and density of motile microorganisms gradient. The increase in Williamson fluid parameter results in a deterioration in heat and mass transfer rates and density of motile microorganism gradient while the increase in Marangoni convection strengthens heat and mass transfer rates and density of motile microorganism gradient. Moreover, the impact of Marangoni convection is profound for smaller values of the Williamson fluid parameter.