Thermal transport in oscillatory MHD Jeffrey nanofluid flow: Unravelling the impact of nanoparticle geometry and hybrid base fluid ratios in wavy channel

Abstract

Nanofluids play a crucial role in industrial heat exchangers, enhancing thermal efficiency, minimizing energy consumption, and boosting process productivity. However, no prior studies have explored the heat transfer characteristics of oscillatory nanofluid flow involving multiple nanoparticle types and shapes under varying base fluid ratios. The present study examines the MHD oscillatory flow of a Jeffrey nanofluid through an asymmetric wavy channel, incorporating the effects of thermal radiation and a heat source. The study aims to analyse the thermal and mass characteristics of various nanoparticles with three different shape factors in three different ratios of basefluid. The nanofluid consists of a hybrid base mixture of water and ethylene glycol, in varying ratios of 20:80%, 40:60%, and 80:20%, and is infused with three types of nanoparticles: copper (Cu), gold (Au), and alumina (Al${}_2$O${}_3$). To analyse the impact of nanoparticle shape on heat and mass transfer rates, cylindrical, platelet, and brick-shaped nanoparticles are considered. The governing equations of the dynamic nanofluid systems are transformed into partial differential equations through suitable dimensionless transformations and further converted into ordinary differential equations by taking appropriate solutions for oscillatory-type nanofluid flow. The findings reveal that increasing the ethylene glycol concentration enhances thermal conductivity but reduces mass transfer rates. Among the nanoparticle shapes, platelet structures exhibit superior heat transfer performance compared to cylindrical and brick forms.