Two-phase model for mixed convection and flow enhancement of a nanofluid in an inclined channel patterned with heated slip stripes

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the heat transfer and flow enhancement of an Al2O3-water nanofluid filling an inclined channel whose lower wall is embedded with periodically placed discrete hydrophobic heat sources. Formation of a thin depletion layer of low viscosity over each hydrophobic heated patch leads to the velocity slip and temperature jump condition at the interface of the hydrophobic patch. Design/methodology/approach The mixed convection of the nanofluid is analysed based on the two-phase non-homogeneous model. The governing equations are solved numerically through a control volume approach. A periodic boundary condition is adopted along the longitudinal direction of the modulated channel. A velocity slip and temperature jump condition are imposed along with the hydrophobic heated stripes. The paper has validated the present non-homogeneous model with existing experimental and numerical results for particular cases. The impact of temperature jump condition and slip velocity on the flow and thermal field of the nanofluid in mixed convection is analysed for a wide range of governing parameters, namely, Reynolds number (50 ≤ Re ≤ 150), Grashof number ( 103≤Gr≤5×104), nanoparticle bulk volume fraction ( 0.01≤φb≤0.05), nanoparticle diameter ( 30≤dp≤60) and the angle of inclination ( −60°≤σ≤60°). Findings The presence of the thin depletion layer above the heated stripes reduces the heat transfer and augments the volume flow rate. Consideration of the nanofluid as a coolant enhances the rate of heat transfer, as well as the entropy generation and friction factor compared to the clear fluid. However, the rate of increment in heat transfer suppresses by a significant margin of the loss due to enhanced entropy generation and friction factor. Heat transfer performance of the channel diminishes as the channel inclination angle with the horizontal is increased. The paper has also compared the non-homogeneous model with the corresponding homogeneous model. In the non-homogeneous formulation, the nanoparticle distribution is directly affected by the slip conditions by virtue of the no-normal flux of nanoparticles on the slip planes. For this, the slip stripes augment the impact of nanoparticle volume fraction compared to the no-slip case. Originality/value This paper finds that the periodically arranged hydrophobic heat sources on the lower wall of the channel create a significant augmentation in the volume flow rate, which may be crucial to augment the transport process in mini- or micro-channels. This type of configuration has not been addressed in the existing literature.