Thermomagnetic Convection in a Hybrid Nanofluid-Filled Wavy-Walled Porous System with Protruded Bottom Heating

The present investigation presents the thermomagnetic convection in a hybrid nanofluid-filled wavy-walled porous thermal system. Both the sidewalls of the enclosure are cold and undulated with varying undulation numbers. The lower horizontal wall is undulated following a semi-circular-shaped protruded object and is heated isothermally. The upper wall is insulated. The cavity is packed with Cu-Al2O3/water-based hybrid nanoliquid and porous substances under the influence of the uniformly applied horizontal magnetizing field. This investigation significantly contributes to the existing research rendering an in-depth understanding of the thermo-flow-physics of a hybrid nanoliquid flow in an enclosure having surface undulations. The governing equations are solved using the Galerkin weighted finite element-based technique. The hydro-thermal performance of the thermal system is significantly affected by the various pertinent parameters such as Darcy-Rayleigh number (Ram), Darcy number (Da), Hartmann number (Ha), and undulation numbers (n). The wall undulations have a critical role for altering the thermal performance. Heatlines are used to analyze heat transport dynamics from the protruded heated surface to the heat sink. The protruded heater wall induces the formation of a hot upward plume in the nearest fluid layers. The flow divides into two parts forming a pair of circulations due to symmetrical cooling at the sidewalls. The way cooled walls with undulation numbers n = 4, corresponds to the superior thermal performance. The flow behaviors are significantly dampened by increasing Ha. This study contributes to the existing domain knowledge and provides insights for designing and optimizing similar thermal systems.