Global energy challenges are increasingly influenced by rising power demand, fossil fuel dependency, and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Modern engineering systems aim to improve thermal performance through advanced fluid modeling,...
Global energy challenges are increasingly influenced by rising power demand, fossil fuel dependency, and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Modern engineering systems aim to improve thermal performance through advanced fluid modeling, especially within energy, transportation, and industrial sectors. The aim of this work is to investigate the thermal and fluid transport characteristics of multiphase systems specifically nanofluids, dusty fluids, and hybrid fluid configurations under the influence of magnetic fields, porous media, and external forcing mechanisms. The study focuses on how various physical parameters affect velocity, temperature, and mass transfer behavior in complex flow environments. The significance of this research lies in its contribution to improving the efficiency of heat transfer in engineering systems by analyzing the effects of particle fluid interaction, buoyancy forces, Reynold number, rotational Reynold number and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) influences. A detailed numerical and computational study is conducted on heat and mass transfer in nanofluids and dusty nanofluids using MATLAB based solvers and COMSOL Multiphysics simulations.
The investigation starts by focusing on the effects of inclined buoyancy forces on nano- and dusty-fluid flow within a porous medium. Key findings reveal that higher Grashof numbers enhance fluid motion while reducing thermal efficiency. The magnetic field and porous structure significantly influence velocity and temperature distributions. Dusty fluids, containing suspended solid particles, show noticeable changes in thermal and momentum transport, the presence of dust particles increases resistance within the flow and modifies the boundary layer structure.
The investigation then shifts to analyzing the Riga-plate configuration, where the combined behavior of dusty and nano-fluids is evaluated under MHD effects. The governing nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs), derived via similarity transformations, are numerically solved using MATLAB’s BVP4C solver. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is employed to identify optimal thermal conditions and assess the parametric sensitivity of the system. Results indicate that increased dust-volume fractions enhance heat transfer, while the Hartmann number and porosity have a notable influence on fluid velocity and temperature gradients.
Furthermore, the research investigates the hydrothermal characteristics of cu water nanofluid within a vented square cavity equipped with rotating cylinders, analyzed through COMSOL Multiphysics using the finite element method (FEM). Various configurations of one to five rotating cylinders are examined to understand the effects of the rotational Reynolds number , nanoparticle volume fraction , on heat transfer and flow circulation. The results reveal that counter-rotating cylinder arrangements generate stronger vortices and higher convective circulation, leading to enhanced Nusselt numbers compared to co-rotating or stationary cases. Increasing promotes vigorous thermal mixing and thinner thermal boundary layers, improving overall heat transfer efficiency. This study provides valuable insight into the optimization of cavity based cooling systems such as electronic component cooling, heat exchangers, and solar energy storage units highlighting the potential of active rotational control for advanced thermal management.