Natural Convection in an Enclosure: Effect of Magnetic Field Dependent Thermal Conductivity

Mohammadhossein Hajiyan, Shohel Mahmud, Mohammad Biglarbegian, Hussein A. Abdullah
2017 Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of Fluid Flow, Heat and Mass Transfer (FFHMT'17)   unpublished
In this paper, the natural convection heat transfer process is investigated inside an annular enclosure filled with a magnetic nanofluid (Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles dispersed in Kerosene). A uniform magnetic field (H) is applied along the axial direction of the enclosure. Thermal conductivity (k) is considered as a function of magnetic field. A nonlinear relationship between magnetic field and thermal conductivity in the magnetic nanofluid (MNF) is assumed and interpolated. Finite element
more » ... ethod is utilized to solve the governing equations and calculate the Nusselt number and it is presented as a function of volume fraction and magnetic field strength. The results show the significant effect of applied magnetic field on heat transfer rate, more specifically on Nu, in the enclosure when higher volume fractions of nanoparticles are used. Thermal conductivity enhancement as a result of using magnetic field can be used for various applications such as thermal energy storage in which the heat transfer needs to be accurately controlled.
doi:10.11159/ffhmt17.173 fatcat:fyly7po2kzf25dbff3uhzn2ozm