Study of thermal convection in chemically reactive carbon nanotube suspension saturated in anisotropic porous enclosure

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the influence of chemical reactions and anisotropic porous material on the convective instability, heat and mass transfer rate of water-based carbon nanotube suspension. Flow governing dynamics are modeled using the modified Brinkman–Buongiorno model. The effects of pertinent flow characterizing parameters such as chemical reaction parameter, porosity parameter, mechanical anisotropy parameter and thermal anisotropy parameter on the threshold of convection, heat and mass transport rate are discussed and compared for three types of enclosures: shallow, square and tall. The study concludes that nanoliquid suspended with single-walled carbon nanotubes has higher heat and mass transfer capability than the multi-walled carbon nanotubes when saturated in a tall porous enclosure and also tall enclosure allows the convection to set in earlier. Anisotropic effect and destructive chemical reaction delay the starting of convection. Further, it is observed that the heat transfer rate decreases with the chemical reaction parameter.