Entropy Generation of CuO-Water Nanofluid in a Cavity with an Intruded Rectangular Fin

Abstract

Entropy generation and heat transfer in cavities have received significant interest due to the ever-increasing demand for enhancing thermal performances in many scientific and engineering fields. In particular, nanofluids are being used increasingly in engineering applications and real-life problems, as they exhibit significantly better thermal properties than basic heat transfer fluids, for example, water, oil, or ethylene glycol. This study investigates the entropy generation and heat transfer of a nanofluid in a confined cavity with a moving top wall and a rectangular fin at the bottom. Here, a macro-homogeneous model based on a previously developed model is employed for investigating the mixed convective flow and heat transfer of CuO-water nanofluid. Various fin geometries, Rayleigh numbers, Reynolds numbers, and nanofluid concentrations have been employed. Present results indicate that the heat transfer rate can be improved, while entropy generation can be minimized using nanofluids instead of conventional heat transfer fluids.

Keywords

• constructal design
• entropy generation
• fin
• heat transfer
• mixed convection
• nanofluid