Brownian motion and thermophoresis effects in co-flowing carbon nanotubes towards a moving plate

Abstract

The heat and mass transfer of carbon nanotubes based-water nanofluids flowing through a moving plate was thoroughly investigated in this numerical work. The Tiwari and Das nanofluid model, as well as the Buongiorno nanofluid model, are formulated to characterise the problem. In transforming the governing partial differential equations into a dimensionless ordinary differential equation, similarity transformations are introduced. The numerical solver bvp4c was then deployed to investigate the dimensionless differential equations. The impact of main parameters on the skin friction, Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are elucidated and thoroughly explained. Results are then compared with published works, and the outcomes are genuinely in close alliance. With the occurrence of thermophoresis Nt, Brownian motion Nb and nanoparticle volume fraction φ, the heat and mass transfer performance are outlined. The local number Nusselt seems to be decreased by higher parameters φ, Nb and Nt. Besides, the local Sherwood number is augmenting with an increase in the φ and Nb parameters and, inversely, a decreasing function with a lower Nt parameter. The results obtained from this study may lead to new knowledge and indirectly contribute to the fluid engineering industry.

Keywords

• Carbon nanotubes
• Moving plate
• Nanoparticles volume fraction
• Brownian motion
• Thermophoresis
• Similarity transformation