A numerical study of the nanofluid mixtures inside a Buoyancy-driven cavity in the presence of a variable magnetic field

Abstract

While magnetic flow applications have become a topic of great interest for decades, the coupling between fluid flow and electromagnetic forces is not straightforward. Therefore, the necessity of a robust guideline to simulate these types of problems has become apparent. Moreover, the heat transfer capabilities and the interaction between electromagnetic forces such as Lorentz and Kelvin require further investigation.In this regard, two objectives are pursued to address the noted issues. First, a robust and flexible solution framework using User-Defined-Functions (UDF)s is presented so that magnetic flow applications can be investigated without software limitations such as discretization scheme, solution setup, and simultaneous use of other advanced modules. Next, the impact of electromagnetic forces on streamlines and isotherms has been studied, and the forces’ area of influence is carefully investigated.Based on the results, the introduced framework has successfully predicted consistent results for three previous studies. Next, by considering a wide range of Rayleigh (Ra), Hartmann (Ha), and Magnetic (Mn) numbers, valuable revelations regarding the force interactions, thermofluidic properties, and force area of influence were revealed. Finally, the situations in which the Kelvin and Lorentz forces are influential are identified based on dimensional analysis.

Keywords

• Computational Science
• Nanofluid modeling
• Heat transfer
• Magneto-Hydro-Dynamics
• Mixed-convection