Thermodynamic optimization of nanofluid flow over a non-isothermal wedge with nonlinear radiation and activation energy

Abstract

Abstract This paper analyses the augmentation entropy generation number for a viscous nanofluid flow over a non-isothermal wedge including the effects of non-linear radiation and activation energy. We discuss the influence of thermodynamically important parameters during the study, namely, the Bejan number, entropy generation number, and the augmentation entropy generation number. The mathematical formulation for thermal conductivity and viscosity of nanofluid for Al 2 O 3 − EG mixture has been considered. The results were numerically computed using implicit Keller-Box method and depicted graphically. The important result is the change in augmentation entropy generation number with Reynolds number. We observed that adding nanoparticles (volume fraction) tend to enhance augmentation entropy generation number for Al 2 O 3 − EG nanofluid. Further, the investigation on the thermodynamic performance of non-isothermal nanofluid flow over a wedge reveals that adding nanoparticles to the base fluid is effective only when the contribution of heat transfer irreversibility is more than fluid friction irreversibility. This work also discusses the physical interpretation of heat transfer irreversibility and pressure drop irreversibility. This dependency includes Reynolds number and volume fraction parameter. Other than these, the research looked at a variety of physical characteristics associated with the flow of fluid, heat and mass transfer.