Heat transfer in shear flow over a still nanofluid: A direct integration approach

Abstract

Heat transfer in a two-layer fluid system, including shear-driven viscous fluid in the upper layer and still nanofluid in the lower layer, is investigated in this work. Following single phase model for nanofluid, three different types of nanofluids are considered. Different from existing literatures on two-layer fluid flow problem, this work introduces the heat transfer of shear-driven viscous fluid over a still nanofluid which makes this investigation new. The main equations which are partial in nature are reduced to a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) by employing suitable similarity transformations. These ODEs together with the coupled interfacial boundary conditions are supplied to MATLAB software to get the solution numerically. Comparing the results obtained in this study with the previous authoritative research results, the accuracy and correctness of the present research methodology are ensured. The results show that the temperature of the upper fluid and the lower fluid are controlled by the thermophysical properties of different types of nanofluids. Also, opposite behavior of temperature distribution for the upper and the lower fluid are observed.

Keywords:

• Heat transfer
• mixed layer
• nanofluid
• shear flow
• two-layer fluid flows

Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge the help and advice received from Prof. H. I. Andersson, NTNU, Norway. We also thank the Editor and the reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions which enabled us to make an improved presentation of the article.

Disclosure statement

There is no conflict of interest.