Nanofluid Flow Comprising Gyrotactic Microorganisms through a Porous Medium

Abstract

Researchers have significantly contributed to heat transfer field and always made out much effort to find new solutions of heat transfer augmentation. Among numerous methods which have been employed to reinforce the thermal efficiency of energy systems, one is the dispersal of gyrotactic microorganisms in commonly used nanofluids. Another way to improve the thermal efficiency is the utilization of the porous media. The present work deals with the study of nanofluid flow comprising gyrotactic microorganisms with allowance for chemical reaction through a porous medium past a stretching sheet. The nonlinear coupled ODEs are obtained after applying the persuasive tool of similarity transformation on governing model PDEs and then undertook numerically by exploiting the SOR (Successive over Relaxation) parameter method. The outcomes of assorted parameters for the flow are surveyed and discussed through graphs and tables. A comparison is correlated with the previously accomplished study and examined to be in an exceptional agreement. The culminations designate that the bioconvection Peclet number and the microorganisms concentration enhance the density of the motile microorganisms. The chemical reaction phenomenon downturns the concentration and enhances the mass transfer rate on sheet surface. The insertion of the gyrotactic microorganisms in the suspensions is widely used in the bio-microsystems. Examples include biotechnology (in order to enhance the transport phenomenon of heat and mass), enzyme biosensor and microfluidics devices like microvolumes and bacteria powered micromixers. The gyrotactic microorganisms also improve nanofluid stability. Microbial-enhanced oil recovery is also application of bioconvection phenomena where nutrients and microorganisms are inserted in oil bearing layer to maintain the variation in permeability. Our results may also be beneficial in improving the proficiency of microbial fuel cells and heat transfer devices.

Keywords

• nanofluid; gyrotactic microorganisms; chemical reaction; concentration.