Particle–fluid interactivity reduces buoyancy-driven thermal transport in nanosuspensions: A multi-component Lattice Boltzmann approach

ABSTRACT

Severe contradictions exist between experimental observations and computational predictions regarding natural convective thermal transport in nanosuspensions. The approach treating nanosuspensions as homogeneous fluids in computations has been pinpointed as the major contributor to such contradictions. To fill the void, inter-particle and particle–fluid interactivities (slip mechanisms), in addition to effective thermophysical properties, have been incorporated within the present formulation. Through thorough scaling analysis, the dominant slip mechanisms have been identified. A Multi-Component Lattice Boltzmann Model (MCLBM) approach is proposed, wherein the suspension has been treated as a non-homogeneous twin component mixture with the governing slip mechanisms incorporated. The computations based on the mathematical model can accurately predict and quantify natural convection thermal transport in nanosuspensions. The role of slip mechanisms such as Brownian diffusion, thermophoresis, drag, Saffman lift, Magnus effect, particle rotation, and gravitational effects has been accurately described. A comprehensive study on the effects of Rayleigh number, particle size, and concentration revealed that the drag force experienced by the particles is primarily responsible for the reduction of natural convective thermal transport. In essence, the dominance of Stokesian mechanics in such thermofluidic systems is established in the present study. For the first time, as revealed though a thorough survey of the literature, a numerical formulation explains the contradictions observed, rectifies the approach, predicts accurately, and reveals the crucial mechanisms and physics of buoyancy-driven thermal transport in nanosuspensions.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge usage of the Virgo supercomputer cluster at the Computer Centre of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras for executing the simulations. PD would also like to thank the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD), Govt. of India, for the research fellowship.