The bioconvective flow of an Eyring-Powell nanoliquid: the influence of entropy

Abstract

ABSTRACT The focus of the study in this article is the bioconvection in a nonlinear mixed convective flow of an Eyring–Powell nanoliquid over a vertical slender cylinder with entropy generation. The two-phase Buongiorno’s model is used to investigate the Brownian motion and thermophoresis mechanisms of nanoparticles. The Boussinesq approximation for the body force term in the equations, which govern the convection flow leads to nonlinear coupled partial differential equations (PDEs). Nonsimilar transformations are considered to handle the equations in the non-dimensional form. Further, the technique of Quasilinearization and the implicit finite difference method are utilized for numerical simulation of the mathematical solution of the problem. The heat transfer rate diminishes by about 75% when the Eckert number rises from −0.5 to 0.5. The microorganism density number is enhanced by about 19% as the bioconvection Lewis number increases from 1 to 2. The skin friction coefficient is higher for the Newtonian fluid as compared to the non-Newtonian Eyring–Powell fluid and it is decreased about 8% when fluid parameter varies from 0 to 0.1. The entropy generation intensifies for higher nanoparticles diffusion and microorganism’s density parameters. An excellent agreement is noticed when the current solutions are compared with the outcomes reported in the existing results.