Toward the heat convection enhancement of nanofluids flowing in a 3D microchannel affected by a nonuniform magnetic field

Abstract

In the present investigation, the behavior of laminar convective flow and heat transfer in a three‐dimensional horizontal square duct using different water‐based nanofluids (Fe3O4/water, and carbon nanotubes/water) is numerically investigated. The channel is subjected to a periodic partial or full magnetic field. The outer surface is subjected to a constant heat flux density. The problem is numerically solved via the finite volume method with a second‐order precision. The numerical simulations covered a range of the Reynolds number 50 ≤ Re ≤ 400, Hartmann number 0 ≤ Ha ≤ 50, and concentration of nanoparticles 0 ≤ ϕ ≤ 0.02 for different modes of the magnetic field application and direction. Examination of the hydrodynamic and thermal behavior shows significant heat transfer performances obtained when applying transversal and partial periodic magnetic fields simultaneously. More precisely, it is found that the favorable protocol improved the heat transfer rate by 85% in the duct flowing by the Ferrofluid at Ha = 50. Furthermore, findings illustrate that the overall heat transfer rate presented in terms of the mean Nusselt number and the highest compromise (heat transfer augmentation‐pressure losses diminution) are obtained in the case of Fe3O4 nanoparticles for all taken values of Reynolds and Hartmann numbers, whatever the manner and direction of the applied magnetic field.