Non-Newtonian effect on heat transfer and entropy generation of natural convection nanofluid flow inside a vertical wavy porous cavity

A numerical study on heat transfer and entropy generation in natural convection of non-Newtonian nanofluid flow has been explored within a differentially heated two-dimensional wavy porous cavity. In the present study, copper (Cu)–water nanofluid is considered for the investigation where the specific behavior of Cu nanoparticles in water is considered to behave as non-Newtonian based on previously established experimental results. The power-law model and the Brinkman-extended Darcy model has been used to characterize the non-Newtonian porous medium. The governing equations of the flow are solved using the finite volume method with the collocated grid arrangement. Numerical results are presented through streamlines, isotherms, local Nusselt number and entropy generation rate to study the effects of a range of Darcy number (Da), volume fractions (ϕ) of nanofluids, Rayleigh numbers (Ra), and the power-law index (n). Results show that the rate of heat transfer from the wavy wall to the medium becomes enhanced by decreasing the power-law index but increasing the volume fraction of nanoparticles. Increase of porosity level and buoyancy forces of the medium augments flow strength and results in a thinner boundary layer within the cavity. At negligible porosity level of the enclosure, effect of volume fraction of nanoparticles over thermal conductivity of the nanofluids is imperceptible. Interestingly, when the Darcy–Rayleigh number $$Ra^*\gg 10$$ R a ∗ ≫ 10 , the power-law effect becomes more significant than the volume fraction effect in the augmentation of the convective heat transfer process. The local entropy generation is highly dominated by heat transfer irreversibility within the porous enclosure for all conditions of the flow medium. The particular wavy shape of the cavity strongly influences the heat transfer flow pattern and local entropy generation. Interestingly, contour graphs of local entropy generation and local Bejan number show a rotationally symmetric pattern of order two about the center of the wavy cavity.

Electromagnetohydrodynamic Electroosmotic Flow and Entropy Generation of Third-Grade Fluids in a Parallel Microchannel

The present paper discusses the electromagnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) electroosmotic flow (EOF) and entropy generation of incompressible third-grade fluids in a parallel microchannel. Numerical solutions of the non-homogeneous partial differential equations of velocity and temperature are obtained by the Chebyshev spectral collocation method. The effects of non-Newtonian parameter Λ, Hartman number Ha and Brinkman number Br on the velocity, temperature, Nusselt number and entropy generation are analyzed in detail and shown graphically. The main results show that both temperature and Nusselt number decrease with the non-Newtonian physical parameter, while the local and total entropy generation rates exhibit an adverse trend, which means that non-Newtonian parameter can provoke the local entropy generation rate. In addition, we also find that the increase of non-Newtonian parameter can lead to the increase of the critical Hartman number Hac.

Heat Transfer and Entropy Generation Evaluation on Molten Salt Tank Foundation with Internal Water Cooling

Molten salt tanks are used to store and release thermal energy. Large heat leakage through the molten salt tank foundation to the ground and high temperature of the foundation are detrimental to long-term operation safety. Here we evaluate the heat transfer and entropy generation characteristics of molten salt tank foundations with internal water cooling. Both laminar and turbulent flows reduce the heat leakage efficiently, while the power consumption for the laminar flow is negligible. The effects of the geometrical parameters are presented. Internal fins in the cooling channels decrease the heat leakage significantly. The total entropy generation rate with foundation cooling is higher than that without foundation cooling. The entropy generation rate in the solid domain is much larger than that in the fluid domain and the flow friction irreversibility is tiny. Larger insulation layer thickness decreases the heat leakage and the total entropy generation rate simultaneously. The local entropy generation rate map helps us identify where the most irreversibility is produced. The largest local entropy generation rate for the design with foundation cooling occurs near the solid-fluid interfaces and is much higher than that without foundation cooling.

Entropy generation analysis of nanofluid natural convection in coaxial cylinders subjected to magnetic field

This paper concerns with the effect of a magnetic field on the entropy generation due to natural convection of Al2O3-water nanofluid flow between coaxial cylinders of aspect ratio H/D = 2. The inner and outer cylinders are maintained at hot and cold temperatures, respectively. The top and bottom walls are thermally insulated. The finite volume method was used to discretize the mathematical equations. The present results are compared with those found in the literature, which reveal a very good agreement. The influence of dimensionless parameters such as Hartmann number, Rayleigh number, solid volume fraction of nanoparticules, ?, and inclination angle of magnetic field on streamlines, isotherms contours, local entropy generation, mean Nusselt number, total entropy generation, St, and Bejan number is discussed. The results show that the local entropy generation are strongly influenced by the application of magnetic field. The increase in heat transfer and entropy generation by adding the nanoparticles to the base fluid depends on the magnetic field strength and direction.

Analysis of the Effects of Joule Heating and Viscous Dissipation on Combined Pressure-Driven and Electrokinetic Flows in a Two-Parallel Plate Channel with Unequal Constant Temperatures

In this article, we perform an entropy generation analysis for the micro channel heat sink applications where the flow of fluid is actuated by combined influences of applied pressure gradient and electric field under electrical double layer phenomenon. The upper and lower walls of the channels are kept at different constant temperatures. The temperature-dependent viscosity of the fluid is considered and hence the momentum equation and energy equations are coupled in this study. Also, a hydrodynamic slip condition is employed on the viscous dissipation. For complete analysis of the entropy generation, we use a perturbation approach with lubrication approximation. In this study, we discuss the results depicting variations in the velocity and temperature distributions and their effect on local entropy generation rate and Bejan number in the system. It can be summarized from this analysis that the enhanced velocity gradients in the flow field due to combined effect of temperature-dependent viscosity and Joule heating and viscous dissipative effects, leads to an enhancement in the local entropy generation rate in the system.