Computational analysis of entropy generation minimization and heat transfer enhancement in magnetohydrodynamic oscillatory flow of ferrofluids

Improvements in heat transfer rate and entropy generation minimisation are critical issues in many engineering and industrial applications where efficient heat transfer is essential to achieve optimal performance and lower energy consumption. This study investigates the entropy generation of the mixed convection flow of ferrofluids in the presence of viscous and Joule dissipation. The flow is oscillatory and induced by the sinusoidal oscillations of a flat plate in its plane. Two Newtonian fluids, namely, kerosene oil (C12H26C15H32) and methanol (CH3OH) are considered base fluids containing magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. Governing equations are first modelled by employing the fundamental laws of transport phenomena. Then, using scaling analysis, these equations are transformed into a dimensionless system of partial differential equations. Numerical simulations are performed using the Gear-Generalized Differential Quadrature Method (GGDQM), and the model is validated with special cases from the literature. It has been found through numerical analysis that the convergence of GGDQM can be guaranteed by using only a small number of grid points. The thermal boundary layer of methanol-based nanofluid is thicker than that of kerosene. It has been observed that the skin friction coefficient increases for both categories of nanofluids as the values of the Eckert number, solid volume fraction, and Grashof number increase. The Nusselt number increases as the solid volume fraction increases, while the opposite trend is observed when the values of the Hartman, Eckert, and Grashof numbers rise. With increasing values of the Grashof number, the rise in the velocity of methanol-based nanofluids is higher than that of kerosene oil-based nanofluids. The maximum percentage difference between the velocities is identified to be 22.2177% at Gr = 4.0. The temperature of methanol-based nanofluids rises more quickly than that of kerosene oil-based nanofluids with increasing values of the Grashof number. It is determined that the largest percentage difference between the temperatures is 20.5968% at Gr = 4.0. When Ec = 0, the percentage difference between velocities is 29. 1721 %, while the percentage difference between temperatures is 78.7155%. Compared to methanol-based ferrofluid, the volumetric entropy production is more extensive in kerosene-based ferrofluid. On the other hand, in comparison to a kerosene-based nanofluid, thermal irreversibility predominates in a methanol-based nanofluid. The novelty of this study lies in the computational treatment of coupled partial differential equations (momentum and energy) that incorporate buoyancy force, Joule heating and viscous dissipation effects, complementing the underlying physics and mathematical modelling of the research problem.