| Abstract: | A mesoscopic study of natural convection due to MWCNT-Fe3O4/Water hybrid nanofluid is conducted utilizing the Lattice Boltzmann Method. The test fluid is filled in a differentially heated rectangular enclosure. Effects of aspect ratio in the range of 0.5–2.0, Rayleigh number varying from 103 to 105 and nanocomposite volume fraction on heat and fluid flow characteristics and entropy generation have been illustrated. It is observed that the mean Nusselt number rises with the increase in Rayleigh number, while it falls as the aspect ratio increases. However, the mean Nusselt number enhances with the increase in MWCNT-Fe3O4 volume fraction up to 0.001. On further increasing the volume fraction, the mean Nusselt number shows either no significant rise or deterioration for the case of MWCNT-Fe3O4 nanocomposite. The dimensionless entropy generation number rises with the increase in the Rayleigh number. However, it falls with an increase in aspect ratio and dimensionless temperature difference. Interestingly in the case of increasing nanoparticle loading fraction, entropy generation number augments first, attains a maximum at 0.001 ?vol fraction of nanocomposite, and then it decreases. Nevertheless, at the low Rayleigh number, it keeps on rising with an increase in nanocomposite volume fraction. The best thermal performance is obtained for the cavity of 0.5 aspect ratio. A correlation for the mean Nusselt number is proposed. |
