Entropy generation and heat transfer in nonlinear Buoyancy–driven Darcy–Forchheimer hybrid nanofluids with activation energy

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of a magnetic field, activation energy, and heat source on the heat and mass transfer within a cross fluid embedded with mono-, di-, and tri-nanoparticles, considering thermal radiation and Darcy–Forchheimer effects. Utilizing the Cattaneo–Christov theory, non-Fourier heat transfer is modeled for a vertical moving surface. A mathematical model is developed and subsequently converted into a dimensionless form through an appropriate similarity transformation, resulting in a system of first-order ordinary differential equations. The numerical approach to solve the system is BVP4C solver in MATLAB, a tool specifically designed for boundary value problems. Graphical representations have been analyzed for velocity profiles, temperature profiles, and concentration distributions for different values of physical parameters. It is observed that the velocity profiles exhibit an upward trend with an increase in the parameters associated with nonlinear thermal convection and nonlinear concentration convection. Additionally, the analysis of surface shear stress, heat transfer coefficients, and mass transfer coefficients revealed that an increase in the porosity parameter and Forchheimer number results in decreased shear stress. Entropy generation is also investigated to quantify irreversibilities in the system. The analysis showed that increasing the Brinkman number, diffusion parameter, and temperature and concentration difference parameters leads to higher entropy generation, indicating greater irreversibility in the system. A comparative analysis demonstrates that tri-nanoparticles substantially improve flow velocity, thermal conductivity, and solute diffusion compared to di- and mono-nanoparticles, with tri-nanofluids exhibiting the most optimal overall performance.