Finite Element Analysis of MHD Thermal Management in a Ventilated Cavity with Dual Obstacles Using Advanced Ternary Hybrid Nanofluids

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Amanullah Phulpoto 1
Abid A. Memon 1
M. Asif Memon 1 , 2 , 3
KaviKumar Jacob 2
Mustafoyev Komiljon 3
1 Department of Mathematics, Basic Sciences and Humanities, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, 65200, Sindh, Pakistan
2 Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Pagoh Campus, 84600 Pagoh, Malaysia
3 Center for Research and Innovation, Asia International University, Bukhara 200100, Uzbekistan
10.22055/jacm.2025.48499.5278
Abstract
Thermal management of ventilated cavities is one of the most significant challenges in the design of microfluidic heat sinks, electronic cooling systems, and medical diagnostics systems. The objective of this study is to examine the thermal and fluid dynamic response of a ventilated cavity with two heated obstacles under the influence of an external electromagnetic field. The ventilated cavity is filled with advanced ternary hybrid nanofluids (THNF) that account for the shape, volume and enhanced thermal properties of the nanoparticles. The governing continuity, Navier–Stokes & energy equations were solved numerically using the Finite Element Method (FEM) in COMSOL Multiphysics 6.2. This study considered six parameters: Reynolds number (Re), Hartmann number (Ha), magnetic field angle, particle shape factor ((n = 3.7 (cylindrical shape), 5.7 (Brick shape) and 4.9 (Platelets)), obstacle-gaps, and nanoparticle volume fractions. The findings show that increasing Re and increasing volume fractions increase heat transfer, whereas increasing Ha decreases the velocity and thermal transport characteristics of the fluid. A magnetic field angle of 90° was shown to enhance heat transfer at specific points in the cavity, with overall reductions in buoyancy flow and heat transport. The study identified the optimal condition for minimum entropy generation of (5.64×10-4) occurred at Re = 2000, Ha = 25, and Φ = 1%, and result for effective thermal insulation (minimum average Nusselt number = 17.677), occurred at Re = 100, Ha = 50 and Φ = 10%.
Keywords
Ternary Hybrid Nanofluids (THNF)
Ventilated Cavity
Dual Obstacles
Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)
Entropy generation
Subjects

Publisher’s Note Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

[1] Priam, S.S., Saha, R., Saha, S., Pure mixed convection inside a vented square cavity with an isothermally heated rotating cylinder, AIP Conference Proceedings, 2324(1), 2021, 050035.
[2] Abu-Hijleh, A.K., Optimized use of baffles for reduced natural convection heat transfer from a horizontal cylinder, International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 42(11), 2003, 1061-1071.
[3] Abraham, J.P., Sparrow, E.M., Experiments on discretely heated, vented/unvented enclosures for various radiation surface characteristics of the thermal load, enclosure temperature sensor, and enclosure walls, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 45(11), 2002, 2255-2263.
[4] Saha, S., Islam, M.T., Ali, M., Mamun, M.A.H., Islam, M.Q., Effect of inlet and outlet locations on transverse mixed convection inside a vented enclosure, Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 36, 2006, 27-37.
[5] Joodi, A.S., Effect of baffles geometry of the flocculation basin on the turbulence behavior using Comsol multiphysics technique, Journal of Environmental Studies, 10(1), 2013, 71-77.
[6] Radhakrishnan, T.V., Joseph, G., Balaji, C., Venkateshan, S.P., Effect of baffle on convective heat transfer from a heat generating element in a ventilated cavity, Heat and Mass Transfer, 45(8), 2009, 1069-1082.
[7] Nougbléga, Y., Sagna, K., Atchonouglo, K., Numerical Study of Mixed Convection in Baffled Vented Cavity, International Journal of Physics, 8(1), 2020, 1-10.
[8] Mahmood, R., Rehman, N., Majeed, A.H., Rehman, K.U., Shatanawi, W., Numerical solution for heat transfer in a staggered enclosure with wavy insulated baffles, AIMS Mathematics, 8(4), 2023, 8332-8348.
[9] Aun, S.H.A., Ghadhban, S.A., Jehhef, K.A., Experimental and numerical investigation of convection heat transfer in an enclosure with a vertical heated block and baffles, Journal of Thermal Engineering, 7(3), 2021, 367-386.
[10] Hamzah, H.K., Al-Amir, Q.R.A., Abdulkadhim, A., et al., In a Vented Square Enclosure, the Effect of a Flexible Baffle Attached to a Solid Cylinder on Mixed Convection, Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 47, 2022, 15489–15504.
[11] Rehman, N., Mahmood, R., Majeed, A.H., et al., Multigrid simulations of non-Newtonian fluid flow and heat transfer in a ventilated square cavity with mixed convection and baffles, Scientific Reports, 14, 2024, 6694.
[12] Kefayati, G.R., Mesoscopic simulation of mixed convection on non-Newtonian nanofluids in a two-sided lid-driven enclosure, Advanced Powder Technology, 26(2), 2015, 576-588.
[13] Mahmoudi, A.H., Shahi, M., Talebi, F., Effect of inlet and outlet location on the mixed convective cooling inside the ventilated cavity subjected to an external nanofluid, International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 37(8), 2010, 1158-1173.
[14] Bellahcene, L., Sahel, D., Yousfi, A., Numerical study of shell and tube heat exchanger performance enhancement using nanofluids and baffling technique, Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences, 80(2), 2021, 42-55.
[15] Ali, M.M., Akhter, R., Miah, M.M., Hydromagnetic mixed convective flow in a horizontal channel equipped with Cu-water nanofluid and alternated baffles, International Journal of Thermofluids, 12, 2021, 100118.
[16] Biswas, N., Mahapatra, P.S., Manna, N.K., Mixed convection heat transfer in a grooved channel with injection, Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A: Applications, 68(6), 2015, 663-685.
[17] Biswas, N., Mahapatra, P.S., Manna, N.K., Thermal management of heating element in a ventilated enclosure, International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 66, 2015, 84-92.
[18] Biswas, N., Manna, N.K., Datta, P., Mahapatra, P.S., Analysis of heat transfer and pumping power for bottom-heated porous cavity saturated with Cu-water nanofluid, Powder Technology, 326, 2018, 356-369.
[19] Barik, A.M., Al-Farhany, K., Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Baffle Inclination Angle on Nanofluid Natural Convection Heat Transfer in A Square Enclosure, Al-Qadisiyah Journal for Engineering Sciences, 12(2), 2019, 61-71.
[20] Kumar, S., Gangawane, K.M., Oztop, H.F., A numerical study of mixed convection in a two-sided lid-driven tall cavity containing a heated triangular block for non-Newtonian power-law fluids, Heat Transfer, 50(5), 2021, 4806-4829.
[21] Rehman, N., Mahmood, R., Majeed, A.H., Rehman, K.U., Shatanawi, W., Finite element analysis on entropy generation in MHD Iron (III) Oxide-Water nanofluid equipped in partially heated fillet cavity, Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 565, 2023, 170269.
[22] Mahmood, R., Khan, Y., Rahman, N., Majeed, A.H., Alameer, A., Faraz, N., Numerical computations of entropy generation and MHD ferrofluid filled in a closed wavy configuration: finite element based study, Frontiers in Physics, 10, 2022, 916394.
[23] Khan, M.S., Wang, J., Memon, A.A., Muhammad, T., Investigating the enhanced cooling performance of ternary hybrid nanofluids in a three-dimensional annulus-type photovoltaic thermal system for sustainable energy efficiency, Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 60, 2024, 104700.
[24] Galal, A.M., Benabdallah, F., Bayz, D.A., Ching, D.L.C., Memon, A.A., Abbas, M., Khan, I., Said, Y., Effect of thermal radiation on Marangoni convective flow of ternary hybrid nanofluid with bioconvection and local thermal non-equilibrium effects, Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 18(2), 2025, 101378.
[25] Xia, Z., Wang, J., Memon, A.A., Muhammad, T., Numerical study of heat transfer in a 3D triangular prism with a rotating cylinder using ternary hybrid nanofluids and a new regression model, Nonlinear Dynamics, 113(8), 2025, 8161-8192.
[26] Alammari, M., Shaikh, G.M., Memon, A.A., El-Ghareeb, T.H., Fenta, A., Numerical analysis on performance evaluation of photovoltaic thermal systems using ternary hybrid nanofluids and forced convection around copper cylinders, Results in Engineering, 24, 2024, 103139.
[27] Rehman, N., Mahmood, R., Majeed, A.H., Khan, I., Mohamed, A., Multigrid simulations of non-Newtonian fluid flow and heat transfer in a ventilated square cavity with mixed convection and baffles, Scientific Reports, 14(1), 2024, 6694.
[28] Majeed, A.H., Mahmood, R., Liu, D., Zhang, Y., Zhang, J.Y., Ren, H.Y., Hendy, A.S., Ali, M.R., Effects of oscillation on convective thermal flow in a vertical enclosure filled by nanofluid particles, Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 61, 2024, 105133.
[29] Ullah, S., Saddiq, G., Majeed, A.H., Alotaibi, H., Hendy, A.S., Ali, M.R., Computational study of conjugate heat transfer and entropy generation of hybrid nano-particles in an enclosure with solid block, Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 67, 2025, 105822.
[30] Alqurashi, M.S., Gul, H., Ahmad, I., Majeed, A.H., Khalifa, H.A.E.W., A study of thermal conductivity enhancement in magnetic blood flow: applications of medical engineering, International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 112, 2025, 109719.
[31] Majeed, A.H., Mahmood, R., Liu, D., Ali, M.R., Hendy, A.S., Zhao, B., Sajjad, H., Flow and heat transfer analysis over a pair of heated bluff bodies in a channel: characteristics of non-linear rheological models, Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 53, 2024, 103827.
[32] Khan, A., ul Karim, F., Khan, I., Ali, F., Khan, D., Irreversibility analysis in unsteady flow over a vertical plate with arbitrary wall shear stress and ramped wall temperature, Results in Physics, 8, 2018, 1283-1290.
[33] Khan, D., Rahman, A.U., Ali, G., Kumam, P., Kaewkhao, A., Khan, I., The Effect of Wall Shear Stress on Two Phase Fluctuating Flow of Dusty Fluids by Using Light Hill Technique, Water, 13(11), 2021, 1587.
[34] Rehman, A., Khan, D., Jan, R., Aloqaily, A., Mlaiki, N., Scientific exploring of Marangoni convection in stagnation point flow of blood-based carbon nanotubes nanofluid over an unsteady stretching surface, International Journal of Thermofluids, 20, 2023, 100470.
[35] Khan, A., ul Karim, F., Khan, I., Alkanhal, T.A., Ali, F., Khan, D., Nisar, K.S., Entropy generation in MHD conjugate flow with wall shear stress over an infinite plate: exact analysis, Entropy, 21(4), 2019, 359.
[36] Elsherbiny, M.S., Ali, M., Shahin, M., El-Kady, M., A review of miniature channels and nanofluids technologies used as heat transfer enhancement techniques for microcooling systems, Journal of Al-Azhar University Engineering Sector, 19(72), 2024, 185-211.
[37] Elsherbiny, M.S., Ali, M., Shahin, M., El-Kady, M., Experimental study on the effect of micro concentrations of hybrid nanofluids through microchannel heat sinks, Journal of Applied and Computational Mechanics, 11(2), 2025, 303-326.
[38] Alfannakh, H., Numerical analysis of magnetohydrodynamic convection in an inclined cavity with three fins and a ternary composition of nanoparticles, Processes, 12(12), 2024, 2889.
[39] Shah, R.K., Thermal entry length solutions for the circular tube and parallel plates, Proceedings of 3rd National Heat and Mass Transfer Conference, 1, 1975, 11-75.
[40] Borode, A., Tshephe, T., Olubambi, P., Sharifpur, M., Meyer, J., Stability and Thermophysical Properties of GNP-Fe2O3 Hybrid Nanofluid: Effect of Volume Fraction and Temperature, Nanomaterials, 13(7), 2023, 1238.
[41] Mishra, A., Pathak, G., A comparative analysis of MoS2-SiO2/H2O hybrid nanofluid and MoS2-SiO2-GO/H2O ternary hybrid nanofluid over an inclined cylinder with heat generation/absorption, Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A: Applications, 85(16), 2024, 2724-2753.
[42] Bawazeer, S.A., Alsoufi, M.S., Natural convection in a square cavity: effects of Rayleigh and Prandtl numbers on heat transfer and flow patterns, Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 73, 2025, 106680.
[43] Bejan, A., Second-law analysis in heat transfer and thermal design, Advances in Heat Transfer, 15, 1982, 1-58.
[44] Mahmud, S., Fraser, R.A., Flow, thermal, and entropy generation characteristics inside a porous channel with viscous dissipation, International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 44(1), 2005, 21-32.
Journal of Applied and Computational Mechanics
Volume 12, Issue 3
Summer 2026
Pages 848-865