Comparative analysis on the forced and mixed convection in a hybrid nanofluid flow over a stretching surface: a numerical analysis

Ag and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles in a water-based hybrid nanofluid flow on an elongating sheet have several potential applications, particularly in heat transfers, thermal engineering, and material science. Furthermore, enhanced heat transfer, improved cooling systems, heat exchangers, biomedical applications, solar energy systems, textile industries, and oil recovery are the other engineering and biomedical applications. These applications show how versatile and advantageous Ag and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles can be used in water-based hybrid nanofluids for a range of scientific and engineering applications, especially when it comes to heat transfer and fluid dynamics over the stretching surfaces with mixed convection phenomena. Therefore, in this effort, a comparative analysis of the forced convection and mixed convective flows of a hybrid nanofluid on a stretching sheet is portrayed. Two types of nanoparticles, which include Ag and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles, are mixed with water to obtain a hybrid nanofluid. The prime focus of this analysis is to examine the hybrid nanofluid flow under two different cases: mixed convection and forced convection. A magnetic field is imposed normal to the direction of flow. A numerical analysis is conducted by using the bvp4c approach. The data of the modeled problem are matched with earlier literature, which authenticates the correctness of the present model. Viscous dissipation, heat source, and Joule heating are employed in current work. The obtained results show that the impression of a magnetic factor on the x-direction velocity profile is more dominant for mixed convective factors than forced convection. However, in the case of y-direction velocity, the opposite impact of the magnetic factor is observed. The results of the rotation factor are more significant along x-direction velocity for forced convection, while this effect is reversed for y-direction velocity. By comparing the results obtained in the present analysis, the impacts of embedded factors on the thermal distribution are more significant and streamlines are closer for forced convection matched to mixed convection.