Numerical inspection of two-dimensional MHD mixed bioconvective flows of radiating Maxwell nanofluids nearby a convectively heated vertical surface

Abstract

The non-homogeneous aspect and dynamical feature of a radiating mixture of an upper-convected Maxwell nanofluid and gyrotactic motile microorganisms are revealed numerically in this investigation during its two-dimensional mixed convective motion nearby a convectively heated vertical surface and a uniform magnetic field source. Based on relevant physical and mathematical backgrounds, the conservation laws (i.e. equations of continuity, momentum, heat balance, solid nanoparticles’ concentration, and gyrotactic motile microorganisms’ concentration) monitoring the present flow problem are derived appropriately in the form of partial differential equations. By making use of specific transformations and rearrangements, these differential equations are converted thereafter into a gigantic structure of first-order ordinary differential equations. By executing computationally an appropriate bvp4c subroutine, the resulting boundary layer equations are handled accordingly for well-defined physical constraints. Afterward, the computing unitless characteristics (i.e. velocity, temperature, solid nanoparticles’ concentration, gyrotactic motile microorganisms’ concentration, skin friction coefficient, Nusselt's number, Sherwood's number, and motile microorganisms’ transfer rate) are discussed exhaustively via graphical and tabular illustrations. As prominent outcomes, it is demonstrated that Joule's heating effect and Lorentz's forces exhibit an enhancing influence on the heat and mass transport phenomena within the nanofluidic medium with a dissimilar dynamical impact.

KEYWORDS:

• Maxwell nanofluid model
• mixed convection
• renovated Buongiorno's formulation
• magnetic field source
• thermal radiation
• gyrotactic motile microorganisms

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).