Modelling heat and mass transfer in gyro-tactic hybrid nanofluid flow through aconverging pipe with injection and suction

Abstract

In the evolving field of nanotechnology, hybrid nanofluids play a crucial role in various engineering applications, including oil recovery, power generation and heat exchangers. This study investigates the enhancement of heat transfer in oil recovery using hybrid gyro-tactic nanofluids, addressing the growing challenge of declining extraction efficiency due to traditional methods. Efficient heat transfer is vital to maintain the mobility of crude oil during extraction and prevent gel formation, ensuring a continuous flow. The flow system, governed by nonlinear partial differential equations for momentum, energy, nanoparticle concentration, and microorganism density, is transformed into ordinary differential equations via similarity transformations. These equations are solved using the Spectral Relaxation Method, implemented in MATLAB to generate profiles for key variables such as velocity, temperature, nanoparticle concentration and microorganism density. Quantitative results show that increasing the nanoparticle volume fraction by 20% enhances heat transfer by 15%, while an inclined magnetic field reduces fluid velocity by 10%, leading to more controlled flow dynamics. The study also demonstrates that higher chemical reaction rates significantly suppress microorganism density, with a reduction of up to 25%. The novelty of this work lies in the combined analysis of several complex factors, including an inclined magnetic field, chemical reactions, variable viscosity, and microorganisms, whose interactions were not previously studied in this context. These findings provide critical insights for optimising heat transfer and improving oil recovery processes, offering solutions beyond existing technologies.