Numerical investigation of natural convection heat transfer using TiO₂/Al₂O₃-water nanofluids

Abstract

Recently, nanofluids have been used as an alternative in several industries to improve the heat transfer process. This paper focuses on the numerical modeling of the performance of the natural convection process through TiO₂/Al₂O₃-water nanofluids in a square cavity containing a heated block. The lattice Boltzmann method is used in this study to present the nanofluid heat transfer enhancement. Results are presented in terms of streamlines, isothermal contours, and Nusselt number profiles. The findings demonstrate that by raising the Rayleigh number and solid nanoparticle concentration, the average Nusselt number increases, and they reveal that the heated block enormously affects the flow structure and heat transfer. It is also demonstrated that the type of nanoparticles significantly impacts the natural convection heat transfer.

Keywords

• natural convection
• nanofluid
• lattice boltzmann method
• heat transfer
• rayleigh number