Thermal criticality and two-step diffusion-reaction of electromagnetic Casson-Williamson fluid flow along a vertical channel with convective cooling under bimolecular kinetic

Abstract

The need to examine diverse conditions involving industrial working fluids and improving thermal transfer efficiency cannot be overstated. Every thermal system must monitor and control excessive heat production and propagation to avert disruptions in various engineering processes. Therefore, the study investigated the theoretical significance of thermal criticality and a two-step exothermic reaction on Casson-Williamson fluid dynamics behaviour through a fixed vertical channel driven by an electromagnetic field, axial pressure gradient, and heat buoyancy force under a generalized bimolecular chemical kinetic. The heat exchange at the convective wall surface is adhered to Newton’s law of cooling. The Galerkin weighted residual method (GWRM) was utilized to solve the dimensionless nonlinear equations governing the flow within the boundary layer, yielding graphical representations of momentum and energy distributions. The results show that higher values of the activation energy, Frank-Kamenetskii parameter, electric field loading, activation ratio term, Weissenberg number, and second step term led to better heat dispersion and, eventually, complete combustion of hydrocarbons in the Casson-Williamson fluid. To avoid system disruptions, the study underscores the crucial need for continuous monitoring of all factors that stimulate internal heat generation to prevent system failures, emphasizing the importance of vigilance in the field of thermal systems.