Al2O3 Water Nanofluid Flow Research Articles

On the magnetohydrodynamic Al2O3-water nanofluid flow through parallel fins enclosed inside a partially heated hexagonal cavity

Fins are introduced in numerous engineering applications related to heat exchangers, gas turbines, electric transformers, semiconductor devices, air-cooled engines, automobile radiators, hydrogen fuel cells, etc. Nanofluids are known as novel engineered fluids having superior thermal conductivity compared to traditional coolants. With this motivation, the present effort is dedicated to enlightening the hydrothermal variations of alumina-water nanofluid passing through the parallel fins inside a partially heated hexagonal enclosure. The bottom part of the enclosure is assumed to be heated, while the top face is partly heated. Three parallel fins are positioned inside the hexagonal compartment with the right as well as left fins are cooled and the middle fin is heated. The hexagonal cavity experiences a magnetic influence applied horizontally. Similarity conversions are considered to have the non-dimensional flow profile and they are tackled with Galerkin finite element scheme. The grid independence and comparison tests are directed to establish the designed model's accuracy. The parametric discussion includes various streamlines, velocities, temperature, isotherms, and Nusselt number profiles for Rayleigh number, Hartmann number, and nanoparticles concentration. The analysis reveals enhanced convection, velocity, and thermal outcomes for the Rayleigh number, but the opposite trend is switched on for Hartmann number and nanoparticle concentration

Repercussions of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions of 3D flow of Cu-water and AL2O3-water nanofluid and entropy generation estimation along stretching cylinder

This research article is aimed to investigate the behavior of 3D flow of nanofluid comprising of copper and aluminium oxide nanoparticles i.e. the importance of the solid particle to increase the thermal conductivity of nanofluid. The results confirm a high uptake of Cu-water nanofluid and Al 2 O 3 -water nanofluid compared to no, or low, uptake of the soluble nanomaterial. This article addresses incompressible viscous Cu-water and Al 2 O 3 -water nanofluid flow along a stretching cylinder. Influence of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions are examined for the nanofluid. An encounter of entropy generation is also taken into account. The entire phenomena is considered for water as base fluid comprising nanoparticles (Copper and Aluminium Oxide). The equations obtained concerning the flow are being transformed using suitable transformations. The results are being evaluated numerically for the obtained equations. Graphical behavior of velocity, temperature, concentration and entropy generation is analyzed to perceive effect of diverse parameters. It is found that the larger values of curvature parameter and nanoparticle volume fraction enhances the velocity profile while the temperature profile decreases. The concentration at the surface decrease with the strength of the heterogeneous reaction parameter while show opposite trend for homogeneous reaction and Schmidt number. Entropy generation shows an enhancing trend for the curvature parameter, Eckert and Prandtl number while contradictory trend for temperature difference ratio parameter. Skin friction and Nusselt number are being examined through numerical values obtained.

Numerical Analysis of The Thermo-Convective Behaviour of an Al2O3-H2O Nanofluid Flow Inside a Channel with Trapezoidal Corrugations

In this present article, a study of the dynamic and thermal behavior of the Al2O3-water nanofluid flow through a channel provided with trapezoidal undulations, under the action of a constant heat flux. To do this, the effect of various volume fractions (0-4%) and that of the nanoparticle diameter (30, 40, 60 nm) on the heat transfer and pressure drop within the channel was analyzed, for a range of Reynolds numbers between 100 to 1000. The equations governing the fluid flow, namely the equations of continuity, momentum and energy were integrated and discretized based on the finite volume method (FVM). The obtained results indicated that using nanofluids with a high-volume fraction and a small nanoparticle diameter makes it possible to improve the performance of the system in terms of heat transfer, pressure drop and friction factor.

Two-phase modeling of low-Reynolds turbulent heat convection of Al2O3-water nanofluid in a 2-D helically corrugated channel

Low-Re-number turbulent flow and convective heat transfer of Al2O3-water nanofluid inside a helically corrugated channel (HCC) were examined numerically. The helically corrugated channel (HCC) was studied for the first time by analogy to a helically corrugated tube. The Reynolds number (based on the nanofluid properties) varies between 5000 and 10000. The nanoparticles volume fraction ranges from 0.1% to 5%. Also, the nanoparticle sizes of 20 nm, 40 nm, and 60 nm were considered. The two-phase mixture model was utilized in the simulations. The numerical results were compared with the experimental data. It was illustrated that a previously established correlation for the effective viscosity could be erroneous in certain circumstances. Hence, that model was amended carefully, and a correlation for nanoparticles with the mean diameter of 20 nm was presented. It was argued that the 20 nm nanoparticles slightly decrease the thickness of the velocity boundary layer. Besides, it was shown that there is a critical particle size above that the heat transfer decreases. Based on the present study, the recirculation region in the corrugation cavity has a significant impact on the turbulent mixing for Re ≥ 10000. Among the tested cases, the maximum ratio of Nusselt number was 1.413 for the particle size of 20 nm and the volume fraction of 5%, while the corresponding pressure drop ratio was 7.122.

Effect of non-uniform heating on conjugate heat transfer performance for nanofluid flow in a converging duct by a two-phase Eulerian–Lagrangian method

In this paper, the effect of non-uniform heating on the conjugate thermal and hydraulic characteristics for Al2O3–water nanofluid flow through a converging duct is examined numerically. An Eulerian–Lagrangian model is employed to simulate the two-phase flow for the following range of parameters: Reynolds number (100 ≤ Re ≤ 800), nanoparticle volume fraction (0% ≤ ϕ ≤ 5%) and amplitude of the sinusoidal heat flux ( A = 0, 0.5 and 1). The results reveal a similar affinity between the applied heat flux and local Nusselt number variation qualitatively, mainly at the middle of the duct. The results also indicate that there is a considerable enhancement of Nusselt number with the increase in Reynolds number and the thermal conductivity of wall materials. In addition, increasing the particle loading contributes to an enhanced rate of heat transfer. The heat transfer rate is lower for non-uniform heating when compared with the constant heat flux and the same can be compensated by the application of volume fraction of nanoparticles

MHD double-diffusive mixed convection and entropy generation of nanofluid in a trapezoidal cavity

Double diffusive, Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), mixed convection flow of Al2O3-water nanofluid inside a trapezoidal enclosure with discrete heat and mass source at the bottom wall of the cavity has been discussed numerically. Together with these entropy generations due to fluid friction, heat transfer, mass transfer and magnetic field are discussed. The upper wall of the cavity is considered to move with a fixed velocity U0 towards positive X-direction. Different inclination angles and different aspect ratios are considered in the present study. Second and fourth order finite difference approximations are used to solve the governing equations by using biconjugate gradient stabilized method (BiCGStab). It is observed that, entropy generation mostly depends on heat transfer and lower values of Richardson number (Ri=0.01) reduces the entropy generation. The highest quantitative value of |Sθ|max is 21,664 for Ri=100,Re=100andϕ=450 and lowest quantative value of |Sθ|max is 5,824 for Ri=0.01,Re=1000andϕ=600 throughout the present study. Also the highest quantitative values of average Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are 0.2597 and 0.4208 for Ri=10,Re=100andϕ=45∘. The main objective of our present study is to minimize entropy generations due to combined effects of fluid flow, heat transfer, mass transfer and the effect of magnetic field so that the loss of energy can be reduced. This study observed that mixed convection flow, low magnetic field and low aspect ratio cavity of rectangular shape is always preferable to reduce total entropy generation and the middle part of the lower wall of the cavity is highly acceptable for heat and mass source for sprinkle of heat and mass throughout the whole of the cavity.

Investigation of Al2O3-water nano fluid flow through the circular tube

This paper demonstrates the augmentation of nano-fluid heat transfer in circular pipe. In this experimental study, nano-fluid of Al2O3/water flow through the circular tube for different mass flow rate (60LPH, 75LPH, 90LPH) Water was used as base fluid in this experiment. Magnetic stirrer and digital ultrasonic water cleaner were used to prepare the homogeneous mixture to disperse 45 nm of Al2O3 nano particle in the base fluid pipe at a particle concentration of 0.05 per cent. Nano fluid was passed through the copper tube for different mass flow rate. Similarly, Water was also passed through the same tube for the same condition. The outcomes from the both experiment was compared with each other. It revealed that higher heat transfer was achieved by nano fluid compared to water. Rate of heat transfer was 30 percent increased by incorporating nano particles in the base fluid.

Experimental investigation of enhancing influence of Al2O3 nanoparticles on the convective heat transfer in a tube equipped with twisted tape inserts

In this study, the heat transfer rate of Al2O3-water nanofluid-flow in a tube with twisted tape inserts is experimentally examined. The twisted tape insert can cause a swirling region in the fluid-flow which will enhance the heat transfer coefficient. On the other hand, the twisted tape inserts have a great influence on the pressure drop. It is known that nanoparticles and twisted tape inserts may both increase the heat transfer rate of the fluid. Thus, in this study, it is tried to demonstrate the combined effect of both phenomena, experimentally. In this way, the Al2O3-water nanofluid is used as the carrier liquid in a tube equipped with various twisted tape inserts of different pitches and twist ratios. Moreover, the influence of nanoparticles? volume fractions was studied in the turbulent regime of a tube with the constant temperature boundary condition.

Thermo-hydraulic and entropy generation analysis for magnetohydrodynamic pressure driven flow of nanofluid through an asymmetric wavy channel

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the thermal, hydraulic and entropy generation characteristics for the magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) pressure-driven flow of Al2O3-water nanofluid through an asymmetric wavy channel.Design/methodology/approachGalerkin finite element method is used to solve the governing transport equations numerically within the computational domain using the appropriate boundary conditions. The temperature and flow fields are computed by varying Reynolds number (Re), Hartmann number (Ha) and nano-particle volume fraction (ϕ) in the following range: 10 ≤ Re ≤ 500, 0 ≤ Ha ≤ 75 and 0 ≤ ϕ ≤ 5%.FindingsThe formation of the recirculation zones in the wavy passages, the size of it and the strength of the vortices formed can be modulated by the application of the magnetic field. The overall heat transfer rate increases with Ha for all ϕ both for a lower and higher regime of Re although the enhancement is more for lower values of Re and nanofluids as compared to base fluid and for intermediate values of Re, the effect of a magnetic field is almost insignificant. The magnetic performance factor (PFmagnetic) decreases with Ha although the rate of decrement varies with Re. The increase ϕ also enhances PFmagnetic especially at lower and higher values of Re. The addition of nano-particle enhances the entropy generation at lower values of the Re, while the opposite effect is seen for higher values of Re.Practical implicationsThe present study has enormous practical relevance for the design of heat exchanger applied for solar collectors, process plants, textile and aerospace applications.Originality/valueThe combined effects on the heat transfer rate and the associated pressure drop penalty due to the applied magnetic field for the flow of nanofluid through an asymmetric wavy channel have not been reported to date. The effect of the magnetic field on the formation of recirculation zones and hot spot intensity in the asymmetric wavy channel has been examined in detail. The PFmagnetic is investigated first time for the MHD nanofluid flow through a wavy channel.

Dufour and Soret effects on Al2O3-water nanofluid flow over a moving thin needle: Tiwari and Das model

Purpose This paper aims to examine the effect of Dufour and Soret diffusions on Al2O3-water nanofluid flow over a moving thin needle by using the Tiwari and Das model. Design/methodology/approach The governing equations are reduced to the similarity equations using similarity transformations. The resulting equations are programmed in Matlab software through the bvp4c solver to obtain their solutions. The features of the skin friction, heat transfer and mass transfer coefficients, as well as the velocity, temperature and concentration profiles for different values of the physical parameters, are analysed and discussed. Findings The non-uniqueness of the solutions is observed for a certain range of the physical parameters. The authors also notice that the bifurcation of the solutions occurs in which the needle moves toward the origin (λ < 0). It is discovered that the first branch solutions of the skin friction coefficient and the heat transfer coefficients increase, but the mass transfer coefficient decreases in the presence of nanoparticle. Additionally, the simultaneous effect of Dufour and Soret diffusions tends to enhance the heat transfer coefficient; however, dual behaviours are observed for the mass transfer coefficient. Further analysis shows that between the two solutions, only one of them is stable and thus physically reliable in the long run. Originality/value The problem of Al2O3-water nanofluid flow over a moving thin needle with Dufour and Soret effects are the important originality of the present study. Besides, the temporal stability of the dual solutions is examined for time.

Rib shape and nanoparticle diameter effects on natural convection heat transfer at low turbulence two-phase flow of AL2O3-water nanofluid inside a square cavity: Based on Buongiorno’s two-phase model

In this study, the effects of the rib shape with constant height, width and pitch and nanoparticle diameter on natural convection heat transfer of low turbulence flow of AL2O3-water nanofluid inside a square cavity is numerically simulated based on Buongiorno’s model. Two rib-ed vertical walls are with different constant temperatures (Th>Tc), while the top and bottom walls are insulated. Heat transfer of nanofluid in rib-ed square cavity is investigated at Rayleigh numbers107, 108 and 109 for various Prandtl numbers 7.0659, 7.3593 and 7.8353. The CFD simulation of AL2O3-water nanofluid is studied for 1–3% volume fractions ranges. Also, the effect of the various diameters of nanoparticle 50, 100 and 150 nm on natural convection heat transfer performance is analyzed. The comparison of present numerical and experimental results shows that due to the thermophoresis and the Brownian motion effects, obtained numerical results are acceptable. Results indicate that at high Rayleigh number, low volume fraction has better performance and trapezoidal rib is the best. Also, by reducing nanoparticle diameter, nanofluid heat transfer and NBT increase considerably. However, by increasing nanoparticle diameter, convection heat transfer decreases greatly and even gets less than base fluid and smooth walls.

Magnetohydrodynamic buoyancy driven Al2O3-water nanofluid flow in a differentially heated trapezoidal enclosure with a cylindrical barrier

This paper aims to analyse the influence of externally applied magnetic field on the free convection motion of Al2O3-water nanofluid in a partially heated trapezoidal enclosure with an internal cylindrical barrier. The thermal conductivity and viscosity of the nanofluid are estimated using the KKL (Koo-Kleinstreuer-Li) model. The thermal management of the water-based nanofluid in the enclosure is maintained by defining three different thermal conditions on the cylindrical barrier. The finite volume method (FVM) is adopted to solve the non-dimensional steady-state continuity, momentum and energy conservation equations. The study evaluates the effects of Rayleigh number (103 ≤ Ra ≤ 107), magnetic field strength (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 60), cavity inclination angle (0 ° ≤ ψ ≤ 60°), applied magnetic field angle (0 ° ≤ ϕ ≤ 90°), and enclosure aspect ratio (AR = 0.5, 0.75 and 1) on the thermohydraulic characteristics of nanofluid. The augmentation in the heat transfer rate in the enclosure is minimally affected by the volume fraction of nanoparticle. The angle of the applied external magnetic field greatly alters the flow and temperature distribution in the enclosure. The location of the minimum local Nusselt number shifts away from the middle of the bottom surface with increasing Hartmann number. Furthermore, the maximum non-dimensional velocity reduces with the increase in Hartmann number.

Numerical simulation of Al2O3-water nanofluid heat transfer and entropy generation in a cavity using a novel TVD hybrid LB method under the influence of an external magnetic field source

In the present study, a novel TVD Hybrid FD-LBM technique is developed to simulate Al2O3-Water nanofluid flow under Buongiorno assumptions. It goes without saying that all explicit numerical schemes suffer from serious stability problems when dealing with low dissipation equations. The simple Single Relaxation Time Lattice Boltzmann method also is not an exception to this rule; that’s why some modern LBM techniques such as Multi Relaxation Time methods are developing day to day. These new techniques add artificial dissipation to the system to keep the oscillating errors of the convective fluxes damped and consequently the numerical procedure stability rises. In this paper, a novel TVD hybrid technique is applied to the Buongiorno model which has relatively low diffusive fluxes in the concentration equation and the flow, heat transfer, and concentration equations are solved in a closed cavity with an elliptic obstacle. Moreover, the influence of an external magnetic field source on the flow and heat transfer rate is studied and the entropy generation of the whole system is investigated. The results revealed that there is a maximum circulation angle for each Ha number which provides relatively higher Nusselt and Sherwood numbers. At these magnetic field angles, Bejan number decreases but they will not necessarily represent the maximum entropy generation points of the system.

Impact of nano-particles shapes on Al2O3-water nano-fluid flow due to a stretching cylinder

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to theoretically probe the shape impacts of nano-particle on boundary layer flow of nano-fluid toward a stretching cylinder with heat-transmission effects. The base fluid used for this study is pure water, and aluminum oxide nano-particles are suspended in it. Four different shapes of nano-particle, namely, cylindrical, brick, platelets and blades, are considered to carry out the study.Design/methodology/approachThe problem is modelled mathematically and the nonlinear system of equations is attained by using appropriate transmutations. The solution of transmuted equations is achieved by utilizing a shooting technique with Fourth-Fifth order Runge–Kutta Fehlberg scheme. Numerically attained results are elucidated through graphs and tables which are further compared under limiting cases with existing literature to check the validity of the results.FindingsIt is observed that fluid velocity and temperature of cylindrical shaped water nano-fluids are more than the nano-fluid having brick-shaped nano-particles. Moreover, it is seen that the nano-fluids suspended with platelets-shaped nano-particles have higher velocity and temperature than the nano-fluids containing blade-shaped nano-particles. The curvature parameter and nano-particles volume fraction have increasing effects on flow velocity and temperature of nano-fluids containing all types of nano-particle shapes.Originality/valueNumerous authors have examined the impacts of nano-particle shapes on characteristics of heat transfer and fluid flow. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the shape impacts of nano-particles on boundary layer flow of nano-fluid toward a stretching cylinder with heat-transmission effects have not been discussed. So, to fulfill this gap, the present paper explicates the impacts of various nano-particle shapes on Al2O3–water-based nano-fluid flow past a stretching cylinder with heat-transfer effects.

Fluid Flow and Entropy Generation Analysis of Al2O3-Water Nanofluid in Microchannel Plate Fin Heat Sinks.

The flow in channels of microdevices is usually in the developing regime. Three-dimensional laminar flow characteristics of a nanofluid in microchannel plate fin heat sinks are investigated numerically in this paper. Deionized water and Al2O3–water nanofluid are employed as the cooling fluid in our work. The effects of the Reynolds number (100 < Re < 1000), channel aspect ratio (0 < ε < 1), and nanoparticle volume fraction (0.5% < Φ < 5%) on pressure drop and entropy generation in microchannel plate fin heat sinks are examined in detail. Herein, the general expression of the entropy generation rate considering entrance effects is developed. The results revealed that the frictional entropy generation and pressure drop increase as nanoparticle volume fraction and Reynolds number increase, while decrease as the channel aspect ratio increases. When the nanoparticle volume fraction increases from 0 to 3% at Re = 500, the pressure drop of microchannel plate fin heat sinks with ε = 0.5 increases by 9%. It is demonstrated that the effect of the entrance region is crucial for evaluating the performance of microchannel plate fin heat sinks. The study may shed some light on the design and optimization of microchannel heat sinks.

Investigation of corrugated channel performance with different wave shapes

A parametric analysis is performed on Al2O3–water nanofluid flow through the heated corrugated channels. The mixture approach is adopted to model the Al2O3–water nanofluid flow, and the finite volume method is applied for the discretization of governing equations. The numerical procedure is validated for the straight channel by using the available correlations. The studied parameters are the wave shape (triangular, trapezoidal, and sinusoidal), phase shift (0, π/2, and π), nanoparticle concentration (0–4%), and Reynolds number (6000–22,000). It is found that the trapezoidal configuration proposes the highest values of Nusselt number, while the sinusoidal one offers the best overall hydrothermal performance. Also, the results show that the channel with lower phase shift presents a better hydrothermal performance. The heat transfer rate and performance index enhance with the increase in Al2O3 nanoparticle volume fraction. Further, new correlations are presented for the subsided cases.

Electrical conductivity effect on MHD mixed convection of nanofluid flow over a backward-facing step

In this study, magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) mixed convection effects of Al2O3-water nanofluid flow over a backward-facing step were investigated numerically for various electrical conductivity models of nanofluids. A uniform external magnetic field was applied to the flow and strength of magnetic field was varied with different values of dimensionless parameter Hartmann number (Ha=0, 10, 20, 30, 40). Three different electrical conductivity models were used to see the effects of MHD nanofluid flow. Besides, five different inclination angles between 0o~90o is used for the external magnetic field. The problem geometry is a backward-facing step which is used in many engineering applications where flow separation and reattachment phenomenon occurs. Mixed type convective heat transfer of backward-facing step was examined with various values of Richardson number (Ri=0.01, 0.1, 1, 10) and four different nanoparticle volume fractions (o=0.01, 0.015, 0.020, 0.025) considering different electrical conductivity models. Finite element method via commercial code COMSOL was used for computations. Results indicate that the addition of nanoparticles enhanced heat transfer significantly. Also increasing magnetic field strength and inclination angle increased heat transfer rate. Effects of different electrical conductivity models were also investigated and it was observed that they have significant effects on the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics in the presence of magnetic field.

Effect of non-uniform asymmetric heating on the thermal and entropy generation characteristics for flow of Al2O3-water nanofluid in a micro-channel

Purpose The purpose of this study is to numerically analyze the thermal and entropy generation characteristics on two-dimensional, incompressible, laminar single-phase flow of Al2O3-water nanofluid in a micro-channel subjected to asymmetric sinusoidal wall heating with varying amplitude, length of fluctuation period and phase difference of applied heat flux for Reynolds number in the range of 25-1000. Design/methodology/approach The numerical computation is based on the Finite Element Method and the Lagrange finite element technique is used for approximating the flow variables within the computational domain. Findings The average Nusselt number increases with increasing Reynolds number (Re) for all the volume fractions of nanofluid. However, the total entropy generation decreases up to a critical value of Re and increases thereafter. Increase in volume fraction shifts the critical Re towards the lower Re regime. The average Nusselt number and total entropy generation increase with amplitude and length of fluctuation period of heat flux. The optimal choice of volume fraction for lesser entropy generation and higher heat transfer is found to be 3 per cent independent of the value of amplitude, length of fluctuation period and phase difference of the heat flux. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, the interplay of various parameters concerning non-uniform heating in achieving the maximum heat transfer with minimum irreversibility has not been investigated. Focusing on this agenda, the results of this study would benefit the industrial sector in achieving the maximum heat transfer at the cost of minimum irreversibilities with an optimal choice of inlet Reynolds number, volume fraction of nanofluid, amplitude, length of the period of fluctuation of heat flux and phase difference of applied heat flux.

Rayleigh-Bénard convection of non-Newtonian nanofluids considering Brownian motion and thermophoresis

In this study, the flow and heat transfer of non-Newtonian Al2O3-water nanofluid in Rayleigh-Bénard cavity are numerically studied. Power-law model is used to describe the non-Newtonian effect of nanofluids in which the flow behavior index depends on the nanoparticle volume fraction. We present a systematic study of the Al2O3-water nanofluid for Rayleigh number of 1000 ≤ Ra ≤ 500000, cavity aspect ratio of 0.25 ≤ AR ≤ 4.0 and nanoparticle volume fraction of 0% ≤ϕ≤ 3%. The flow pattern inside the cavity changes complicatedly as Ra increases and the heat transfer performance of the system is strongly affected by the flow pattern. The convectional structure is influenced by both of the shear-thinning effect and the variation of effective viscosity. The average Nusselt number changes non-monotonically because of the flow pattern change under the variation of Ra and n. The consideration of Brownian motion and thermophoresis could bring about 3% increase of average Nusselt number, and the value varies slightly with different AR and ϕ. The comparison between non-Newtonian and Newtonian models shows that noticeable underestimation of heat transfer performance could be resulted by Newtonian model. The average Nusselt number of non-Newtonian model is approximately 1.5 times to that of Newtonian model, and the deviation is more pronounced with the increase of particle volume fraction.

Conjugate heat transfer in a duct using nanofluid by two-phase Eulerian–Lagrangian method: Effect of non-uniform heating

The underlying physics behind the effect of non-uniform heating on the heat transfer characteristics for flow of Al2O3-water nanofluid through a duct having finite wall thickness subjected to sinusoidal heat flux has been numerically investigated in this study. The nanofluid is modelled as a single fluid with two phases using the Eulerian-Lagrangian formulation. The concomitant implications of thermal conductivity ratio of solid to fluid, outer tube diameter to inner tube diameter ratio, amplitude of sinusoidal heat flux and volume fraction of nanoparticles on the thermal attributes have been explored and quantified by local and average Nusselt number. The results elucidate a close resemblance between the nature of the variation of local Nusselt number and the applied heat flux, particularly at the intermediate region of the channel. The results also reveal a damping effect on the conjugate heat transfer due to the increase in conducting wall thickness, irrespective of the volume fraction of nanofluid. The confluence of various key parameters on the variation of the magnitudes of the crests and troughs of local Nusselt number are analyzed and this variation proves to be a prime factor in determining the variation of average Nusselt number. Furthermore, the average Nusselt number decreases with amplitude of heat flux. The rate of heat transfer for flow of base fluid through a duct having finite wall thickness is always lower in case of non-uniform heating. However, the use of nanofluid as the heat transfer medium can compensate the decrement in heat transfer due to non-uniform heating.