Heat transfer augmentation of magnetohydrodynamics natural convection in L-shaped cavities utilizing nanofluids

Abstract

A numerical study of natural convection heat transfer through an alumina-water nanofluid inside L-shaped cavities in the presence of an external magnetic field is performed. The study has been carried out for a wide range of important parame?ters such as Rayleigh number, Hartmann number, aspect ratio of the cavity and solid volume fraction of the nanofluid. The influence of the nanoparticle, buoyancy force and the magnetic field on the flow and temperature fields have been plotted and discussed. The results show that after a critical Rayleigh number depending on the aspect ratio, the heat transfer in the cavity rises abruptly due to some significant changes in flow field. It is also found that the heat transfer enhances in the presence of the nanoparticles and increases with solid volume fraction of the nanofluid. In addition, the performance of the nanofluid utilization is more effective at high Ray?leigh numbers. The influence of the magnetic field has been also studied and de?duced that it has a remarkable effect on the heat transfer and flow field in the cavity that as the Hartmann number increases the overall Nusselt number is significantly decreased specially at high Rayleigh numbers.