Purpose The present study aims to address the flow and heat transfer of MgO-MWCNTs/EG hybrid nanofluid in a complex shape enclosure filled with a porous medium. The enclosure is subject to a uniform inclined magnetic field and radiation effects. The effect of the presence of a variable magnetic field on the natural convection heat transfer of hybrid nanofluids in a complex shape cavity is studied for the first time. The geometry of the cavity is an annular space with an isothermal wavy outer cold wall. Two types of the porous medium, glass ball and aluminum metal foam, are adopted for the porous space. The governing equations for mass, momentum and heat transfer of the hybrid nanofluid are introduced and transformed into non-dimensional form. The actual available thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity data for the hybrid nanofluid are directly used for thermophysical properties of the hybrid nanofluid. Design/methodology/approach The governing equations for mass, momentum and heat transfer of hybrid nanofluid are introduced and transformed into non-dimensional form. The thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of the nanofluid are directly used from the experimental results available in the literature. The finite element method is used to solve the governing equations. Grid check procedure and validations were performed. Findings The effect of Hartmann number, Rayleigh number, Darcy number, the shape of the cavity and the type of porous medium on the thermal performance of the cavity are studied. The outcomes show that using the composite nanoparticles boosts the convective heat transfer. However, the rise of the volume fraction of nanoparticles would reduce the overall enhancement. Considering a convective dominant regime of natural convection flow with Rayleigh number of 107, the maximum enhancement ratio (Nusselt number ratio compared to the pure fluid) for the case of glass ball is about 1.17 and for the case of aluminum metal foam is about 1.15 when the volume fraction of hybrid nanoparticles is minimum as 0.2 per cent. Originality/value The effect of the presence of a variable magnetic field on the natural convection heat transfer of a new type of hybrid nanofluids, MgO-MWCNTs/EG, in a complex shape cavity is studied for the first time. The results of this paper are new and original with many practical applications of hybrid nanofluids in the modern industry.

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to theoretically analyze the laminar free convection heat transfer of nanofluids in a square cavity. The sidewalls of the cavity are subject to temperature difference, whereas the bottom and top are insulated. Based on the available experimental results in the literature, two new non-dimensional parameters, namely, the thermal conductivity parameter (Nc) and dynamic viscosity parameter (Nv) are introduced. These parameters indicate the augmentation of the thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of the nanofluid by dispersing nanoparticles. Design/methodology/approach The governing equations are transformed into non-dimensional form using the thermo-physical properties of the base fluid. The obtained governing equations are solved numerically using the finite element method. The results are reported for the general non-dimensional form of the problem as well as case studies in the form of isotherms, streamlines and the graphs of the average Nusselt number. Using the concept of Nc and Nv, some criteria for convective enhancement of nanofluids are proposed. As practical cases, the effect of the size of nanoparticles, the shape of nanoparticles, the type of nanoparticles, the type of base fluids and working temperature on the enhancement of heat transfer are analyzed. Findings The results show that the increase of the magnitude of the Rayleigh number increases of the efficiency of using nanofluids. The type of nanoparticles and the type of the base fluid significantly affects the enhancement of using nanofluids. Some practical cases are found, in which utilizing nanoparticles in the base fluid results in deterioration of the heat transfer. The working temperature of the nanofluid is very crucial issue. The increase of the working temperature of the nanofluid decreases the convective heat transfer, which limits the capability of nanofluids in decreasing the size of the thermal systems. Originality/value In the present study, a separation line based on two non-dimensional parameters (i.e. Nc and Nv) are introduced. The separation line demonstrates a boundary between augmentation and deterioration of heat transfer by using nanoparticles. Indeed, by utilizing the separation lines, the convective enhancement of using nanofluid with a specified Nc and Nv can be simply estimated.

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