Internal energy activation stimulus on magneto-bioconvective Powell-Eyring nanofluid containing gyrotactic microorganisms under active/passive nanoparticles flux

Abstract

Abstract Influence of Stephan blowing on a three-dimensional hydro magneto-bioconvective Eyring-Powell nanofluid containing Gyrotactic microorganisms under active and passive nanoparticle flux conditions is investigated in this paper. The presence of non-linear radiation along a bidirectional stretched surface is also deliberated throughout this analysis. A comparative study is made up for active and passive nanoparticle volume control. The study is relevant to novel microbial fuel cell technologies combining the nanofluid with bioconvection phenomena. The Prandtl’s boundary layer equations, approximated by Oberbeck-Boussinesq’s are studied under suitable boundary conditions. Similarity transformation is used to transform the governing boundary layer equations to dimensionless nonlinear ordinary differential equation model. The non-linear model is then resolved by combining the Runge–Kutta method and the MATHEMATICA software. The dimensionless velocity, temperature, nanoparticle concentration and density of motile microorganisms together with the wall shear stress, Nusselt, Sherwood and density of motile microorganism number are graphically presented to visualize the effects of particular parameters. A novel idea of Stefan blowing on three-dimensional space taking into consideration the non-linear radiation is implemented in the investigation of Eyring-Powell flow over a deformable sheet under the effects of slip and activation energy for the first time. Axial Newtonian slip decreases the momentum of the nanoflow while tangential slip augments the flow. Bio-convection parameter reduces the nanoparticle concentration of the rescaled density of motile microorganisms. Skin friction factor is dominant in passive nanoparticles flux rather than active nanoparticles flux. Passive nanoparticles help in smooth delivery of drugs which is seen here for zero mass flux. Energy transfer rate is high compared to active nanoparticle volume control. A zero mass flux acts as a cooling agent in this study by diffusing more heat from the system.