Mathematical Analysis of MHD Hybrid Nanofluid Flow over a Stretching/Shrinking Sheet with Thermal Radiation

Abstract

A full mathematical analysis of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) hybrid nanofluid flow over a stretching/shrinking sheet with thermal radiation is presented in this paper. The hybrid nanofluid consists of copper (Cu) and alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles suspended in water as base fluid. By means of similarity transformations the governing partial differential equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations and are solved numerically by the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method with a shooting technique. The effects of the significant parameters like magnetic field parameter, radiation parameter, suction/injection parameter, stretching/shrinking parameter and nanoparticle volume fractions on the velocity and temperature profiles, skin friction coefficient and local Nusselt number are discussed . The dual solutions for the cases of shrinking sheet are obtained. The results are given in tables and figures and physical interpretation are made. The results show that hybrid nanofluids significantly enhance the heat transfer compared with mono nanofluids and the thermal radiation further increases the thermal boundary layer thickness.