Three-Dimensional Numerical Analysis on Performance Enhancement of Micropolar Hybrid Nanofluid in Comparison with Simple Nanofluid

Abstract

The objectives of the present research work are the three-dimensional computational analysis and predictions on double-diffusive natural convection in a cubic cavity filled with Cu–Al₂O₃/water micropolar hybrid nanofluid. The governing equations are carefully modified employing vorticity–vector potential formulation and are solved by the finite volume method. Performance enhancement of Cu–Al₂O₃/water micropolar hybrid nanofluid is judiciously compared with the Cu/water simple nanofluid. Besides, the influences of concentration of nanoparticles, Rayleigh number, buoyancy ratio, and micropolar vortex parameter on the flow field and heat transfer are critically analyzed. The results show that heat and mass transfer rates are lower for a micropolar nanofluid model when compared to the pure nanofluid model. The hybrid micropolar nanofluid displays more heat and mass transfer rates for thermal buoyancy-dominated zones when compared with traditional nanofluid. Conversely, the heat and mass transfer rates are decreased when using micropolar hybrid nanofluid for the solutal-dominated regime. The enhancement of micropolar viscosity parameter results in a decrease of average Nusselt and Sherwood numbers which are more perceptible in the thermal buoyancy-dominated flow.

Acknowledgments

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia for funding this work through the General Research Project under grant number (G.R.P-248-40).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

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Notes on contributors

Nessrin Manaa

Nessrin Manaa is a Ph.D. student at the National Engineering School of Monastir at University of Monastir, Tunisia. Her research activities include double-diffusive natural convection in enclosures, enhancement of heat and mass transfer, micropolar fluid, convective nanofluid, and hybrid nanofluid.

Awatef Abidi

Awatef Abidi is an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department at King Khalid University Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She received her Ph.D. degree in Energetic Engineering in 2011 from the National Engineering School of Monastir at University of Monastir, Tunisia. Her research interests cover double-diffusive natural convection in enclosures, radiation, and computational fluid dynamics, micropolar fluid, nanofluid, hybrid nanofluid, and heat and mass transfer in microchannels.

Ahamed Saleel C.

Ahamed Saleel C. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at College of Engineering at King Khalid University Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering/Fluid Mechanics & Thermal Science in 2013 from National Institute of Technology, Calicut, India. His research interests cover computational fluid dynamics, nanofluid, microfluidics, mixing in microchannels, phase change materials, and porous media heat transfer.

Jamel Madiouli

Jamel Madiouli is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at College of Engineering at King Khalid University Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He received his Ph.D. degree in Energetic Engineering in 2010 from the National Engineering School of Monastir at University of Monastir, Tunisia. His research interests cover computational heat and mass transfer and use of solar still in water desalination.

Mohammed Naceur Borjini

Mohammed Naceur Borjini is a professor of physics at the National Engineering School of Monastir, University of Monastir, Tunisia. He obtained his Ph.D. in physics in 1998 from the Perpignan University France and obtained his Habilitation from the University of Monastir. Currently, he directs a research group in the fields of fluid flow and heat and mass transfer at the National Engineering School of Monastir, Tunisia. His research interests are heat and mass transfer, numerical analysis, magneto-hydrodynamics, and computational fluid dynamics. He has coauthored over 90 research papers in international journals and conferences.