Analysis of thermsolutal performance and entropy generation for ternary hybrid nanofluid in a partially heated wavy porous cabinet

Abstract

Purpose This study comprehensively examines entropy generation and thermosolutal performance of a ternary hybrid nanofluid in a partially active porous cabinet. The purpose of this study is to comprehend the intricate phenomena of double diffusion by investigating the dispersion behavior of Al2O3, CuO, and Ag nanoparticles in water. Design/methodology/approach The cabinet design consists of two horizontal walls and two curved walls with the lower border divided into a heated and concentrated region of length b and the remaining sections are adiabatic. The vertical borders are cold and low concentration, while the upper border is adiabatic. Two cavity configurations such as convex and concave are considered. A uniform porous medium is taken within the ternary hybrid nanofluid. This has been characterized by the Brinkman-extended Darcy model. Thermosolutal phenomena are governed by the Navier-Stokes equations and are solved by adopting a higher-order compact scheme. Findings The present study focuses on exploring the influence of several well-defined parameters, including Rayleigh number, Darcy number, Lewis number, Buoyancy ratio number, nanoparticle volume concentration and heater size. The results indicate that the ternary hybrid nanofluid outperforms both the mono and hybrid nanofluids in all considered aspects. Originality/value This study brings forth a significant contribution by uncovering novel flow features that have previously remained unexplored. By addressing a well-defined problem, the work provides valuable insights into the enhancement of thermal transport, with direct implications for diverse engineering devices such as solar collectors, heat exchangers and microelectronics.