A comparative analysis on the single-phase and two-phase mixture models for calculation of ferrofluid convective heat transfer in the presence of a magnetic field: a numerical study

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the accuracy of the single and two-phase numerical methods for calculation of ferrofluid convective heat transfer in the presence of a magnetic field. The findings of current study are compared with previous single-phase numerical results and experimental data. Accordingly, the effect of various parameters including nanoparticles concentration, Reynolds number and magnetic field strength on the performance of the single and two-phase models are evaluated. Design/methodology/approach A two-phase mixture numerical study is carried out to investigate the influence of four U-shaped electromagnets on the hydrodynamic and thermal characteristics of Fe3O4/Water ferrofluid flowing inside a heated channel. Findings It is observed that the applied external magnetic field signifies the convective heat transfer from the channel surface, despite local reduction at a few locations. The maximum heat transfer enhancement is predicted as 23% and 25% using single and two-phase models, respectively. The difference between the results of the two models is mainly attributed to the slip velocity effect which is accounted for in the two-phase model. The magnetic field gradient leads to a significant increase in the slip velocity which in turn causes a slight difference in velocity and temperature profiles obtained by the single and two-phase models in the magnetic field region. According to percentage error calculation, the two-phase method is generally more accurate than the single-phase method. However, the percentage error of both models improves by decreasing either magnetic field intensity or Reynolds number. Originality/value For the first time in the literature, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the current work analyzes the accuracy of the single and two phase numerical methods for calculation of ferrofluid convective heat transfer in the presence of a magnetic field.