Magnetohydrodynamic free convection nanofluid flow over a convectively heated vertical disk with non-uniform heat generation and nonlinear radiation

Abstract

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) nanofluid flows have become very popular in modern alternative thermal systems, such as solar collector systems, electronic cooling devices, and high-temperature industrial processes involving high-performance heat regulation processes. In connection with these applications in various thermal systems, the current study investigates free convective MHD nanofluid flow over a vertical disk under the influence of convective heating, non-uniform heating source, and nonlinear thermal radiation. By using similarity transformations to remodel the governing equations from partial differential equations into coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations, the complete set of these equations is numerically integrated by combining the shooting technique with a fourth-order Runge-Kutta algorithm. The impact of key physical parameters on various dimensionless profiles is analyzed through various graphs. The results of the analysis indicate that the magnetic field term decelerates velocity due to the presence of Lorentz forces, both spatial and thermal-dependent heat sources thicken the thermal bounding layer and affect heat transfer distribution in the system. More so, convective heating and nonlinear thermal radiation produce higher temperatures in the system. These results provide valuable insight into the potential improvements in terms of efficiency and control of MHD-based energy systems and industrial heat transfer applications.