Numerical studies of nanofluid boundary layer flows using spectral methods.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, PietermaritzburgThis thesis is focused on numerical studies of heat and mass transport processes that occur in nanofluid boundary layer flows. We investigate heat and mass transfer mechanisms in the flow of a micropolar nanofluid above a stretching sheet, the squeezed nanofluid flow between two parallel plates and the impact of activation energy and binary chemical reaction on nanofluid flow past a rotating disk. We present an analysis of entropy generation in nanofluid flow past a rotating disk and nanofluid flow past a stretching surface under the influence of an inclined magnetic field. This study aims to numerically determine to a high degree of accuracy, how nanoparticles can be utilized to alter heat and transport properties of base fluids in order to enhance or achieve desirable properties for thermal systems. The heat and mass transfer processes that feature in nanofluid boundary layer flow are described by complex nonlinear transport equations which are difficult to solve. Because of the complex nature of the constitutive equations describing the flow of nanofluids, finding analytic solutions has often proved intractable. In this study, the model equations are solved using the spectral quasilinearization method. This method is relatively recent and has not been adequately utilized by researchers in solving related problems. The accuracy and reliability of the method are tested through convergence error and residual error analyses. The accuracy is further tested through a comparison of results for limiting cases with those in the literature. The results confirm the spectral quasilinearization method as being accurate, efficient, rapidly convergent and suited for solving boundary value problems. In addition, among other findings, we show that nanofluid concentration enhances heat and mass transfer rates while the magnetic field reduces the velocity distribution. The fluid flows considered in this study have significant applications in science, engineering and technology. The findings will contribute to expanding the existing knowledge on nanofluid flow

A numerical study of heat and mass transfer in non-Newtonian nanofluid models.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.A theoretical study of boundary layer flow, heat and mass transport in non-Newtonian nanofluids is presented. Because of the diversity in the physical structure and properties of non-Newtonian fluids, it is not possible to describe their behaviour using a single constitutive model. In the literature, several constitutive models have been proposed to predict the behaviour and rheological properties of non-Newtonian fluids. The question of interest is how the fluid physical parameters affect the boundary layer flow, and heat and mass transfer in various nanofluids. In this thesis, nanofluid models in various geometries and subject to different boundary conditions are constructed and analyzed. A range of fluid models from simple to complex are studied, leading to highly nonlinear and coupled differential equations, which require advanced numerical methods for their solution. This thesis is a conjoin between mathematical modeling of non-Newtonian nanofluid flows and numerical methods for solving differential equations. Some recent spectral techniques for finding numerical solutions of nonlinear systems of differential equations that model fluid flow problems are used. The numerical methods of primary interest are spectral quasilinearization, local linearization and bivariate local linearization methods. Consequently, one of the objectives of this thesis is to test the accuracy, robustness and general validity of these methods. The dependency of heat and mass transfer, and skin friction coefficients on the physical parameters is quantified and discussed. Results show that nanofluids and physical parameters have an important and significant impact on boundary layer flows, and on heat and mass transfer processes.The year on the title page reflects as 2019 on the thesis and differs from that on pages ii to iv which indicates the year 2020