ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Energy Res.
Sec. Process and Energy Systems Engineering
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2025.1602241
This article is part of the Research TopicOptimizing Energy Transfer Processes: From Cavity Geometry to Entropy GenerationView all articles
Thermal Performance Enhancement in a Hexagonal Cavity Filled with Hybrid Nanofluid with a Steering Shaped Insertion
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Barishal, Barishal, Barisal, Bangladesh
- 2Pabna University of Science & Technology, Pabna, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
- 3University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- 4School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical ENgineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Queensland, Australia
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Background: Steering shaped obstacle are extensively employed in various thermal engineering applications, including heat exchangers, transformers, semiconductors, microelectronics, chemical sensors, air-cooled engines, gas turbines, automotive radiators, and hydrogen fuel cells.Aims: The main goal of this study is to examine how key dimensionless parameters-such as the Reynolds number (Re), Richardson number (Ri), Hartmann number (Ha), Nusselt number (Nu), Bejan number (Be), and magnetic field angle (γ)-affect the heat transfer, fluid flow, and entropy generation in a hybrid nanofluid (TiO_2-Cu-H_2 O) system. A mixed convection flow is analyzed inside a hexagonal cavity containing a heated steering-shaped obstacle. The cavity has two moving walls that drive the flow, while a magnetic field is applied at an angle. The focus is to reduce entropy generation and enhance thermal performance, which is important for improving the efficiency of advanced cooling systems.Method and validations: The governing equations and boundary conditions are solved using the Galerkin weighted residual finite element method, with extensive validation against existing results to ensure the accuracy of the findings.Parameters: The study investigates a range of parameters: nanoparticles concentration (φ) varying from 1% to 5%, Re from 1 to 300, Ha from 0 to 60, Ri from 0.1 to 10, and γ ranging from 0° to 90°.Results: The study shows that lid-driven motion of the top and bottom walls, along with a steering-shaped heated obstacle, enhances HT and reduces E_gen. Thermal performance improves with increasing Ri and Re but decreases with rising Ha. For fixed Re = 300, at the highest magnetic field strength (Ha = 60), the HT rate reaches its minimum, exhibiting a 22.41% decrease relative to the no magnetic-field condition (Ha = 0). An increase in the Ri number leads to a 68.76% enhancement in thermal performance. At a fixed Ri=10, increasing the Re number from 1 to 300 leads to a 263.83% enhancement in thermal performance. The addition of TiO_2-Cu-H_2 O HNF further enhances thermal performances.Conclusion: The study reveals that MC HNF and heated steering shaped obstacle play a significant role in enhancing HT and reducing E_avg within the cavity.
Keywords: Double lid-driven cavity, magnetohydrodynamics, Mixed Convection, Steeringshaped obstacle, heat transfer, Entropy generation
Received: 29 Mar 2025; Accepted: 09 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Saha, Barai, Majumdar, Hossain, Saha and Saha. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Suvash C. Saha, School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical ENgineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, 4001, Queensland, Australia
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