Thermal enhancement of couple stress fluid flow through anisotropic porous media

Abstract

This study examines forced convective heat transfer via an anisotropic porous channel in a couple stress flow. The flow field is assumed to be fully developed and governed by the Darcy Brinkman Forchheimer equation. The thermal field is assumed to be developing. The channel walls are subjected to constant heat flux. Since the momentum equation is non-linear and the thermal energy equation is linear, coupled equations are solved numerically using the finite difference method. The variation in the bulk mean temperature is linear with the axial distance for all values of the couple stress parameter and Darcy number. In the absence of axial conduction and heat sources or sinks in the flow field, it is easy to see that the energy gained by the fluid up to an axial distance is twice the axial distance. The parameters, anisotropic permeability ratio, and anisotropic angle enhance the heat transfer. The couple stress parameter lessens the enhancement in heat transfer. Anisotropy is critical in heat transmission for Darcy number, DaH≤0.8. The heat transfer rate decreases by more than 40% due to couple stress fluid and anisotropic effects in the channel, as opposed to the Newtonian isotropic situation. This investigation's findings have been compared with previous experimental and numerical research.