Unsteady Flow of Hybrid Nanofluids Subjected to a Stretching/Shrinking Sheet with Heat Generation

Abstract

This work highlights the thermal progress and flow characteristics of the various hybrid nanofluids (graphene-alumina/water and copper-alumina/water) flow over a stretching/shrinking sheet with heat generation and suction effects using numerical approach. This study is important in identifying the nanofluids and physical parameters which beneficial in the increment of the flow and thermal progresses. The control model (partial differential equations) is established based on the boundary layer assumptions and then transformed into a set of ordinary (similar) differential equations. A numerical solver in the MATLAB software called the bvp4c solver is used to compute the solutions by first transforming the reduced ODEs. There is an increase in velocity profile and a decrease in thermal rate with the increased suction parameter. It is observed that between the two hybrid nanofluids, the Cu-Al2O3/H2O hybrid nanofluid has a larger thermal rate and skin friction coefficient compared to the Graphene-Al2O3/H2O, which makes Cu-Al2O3/H2O a good option for the industrial cooling processes.