Exploring radiative heat transfer and buoyancy effects on Tiwari-Das nanofluid flow model in permeable rotating disc: Finite element study

Abstract

Nanofluids are identified for their improved thermal conductivity and are progressively used in heat transfer advancements such as cooling mechanisms and energy systems. This investigation offers an inclusive analysis of the interaction between nanoparticle volume fraction, rotational motion, and thermal radiation on thermal distribution characteristics. Hence, this research focuses on the effect of radiating heat transport on the thermal and flow behavior of a nanofluid along a porous rotating disc in the presence of buoyancy forces using the Tiwari-Das model. A system of coupled partial differential models for the momentum, thermal, and nanoparticle species is developed with boundary film approximations. The Tiwari-Das equation is utilized to capture the impact of dispersed nanoparticles on the working solvent’s thermophysical properties. Using separately the Rosseland and Boussinesq approximations, the heat radiation and density variations of buoyancy effects are modeled. The resultant nonlinear derivative equations are solved via a finite element method to ensure solution accuracy and stability. The effect of various entrenched parameters on the flow mechanics and heat transport rates is examined. The outcomes of the study depicted that raising the nanoparticle volume fraction boosts the effectiveness of heat transfer, while thermal radiation flux pointedly varies in temperature distributions. Buoyancy forces prompt the flow structure, causing a variation in thermal and velocity boundary layers. Thus, this study promotes the thermal performance of nanofluid, presenting possible control mechanisms for heat transfer optimization.