INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NUMERICAL METHODS FOR HEAT & FLUID FLOW

Purpose The purpose of this study is to peruse natural convection in a CuO-water nanofluid-filled complex-shaped enclosure under the influence of a uniform magnetic field by using control volume finite element method. Design/methodology/approach Governing equations formulated in dimensionless stream function, vorticity and temperature variables using the single-phase nanofluid model with the Koo-Kleinstreuer-Li correlation for the effective dynamic viscosity and the effective thermal conductivity have been solved numerically by control volume finite element method. Findings Effects of various pertinent parameters such as Rayleigh number, Hartmann number, volume fraction of nanofluid and shape factor of nanoparticle on the convective heat transfer characteristics are analysed. It was observed that local and average heat transfer rates increase for higher value of Rayleigh number and lower value of Hartmann number. Among various nanoparticle shapes, platelets were found to be best in terms of heat transfer performance. The amount of average Nusselt number reductions was found to be different when nanofluids with different solid particle volume fractions were considered due to thermal and electrical conductivity enhancement of fluid with nanoparticle addition. Originality/value A comprehensive study of the natural convection in a CuO-water nanofluid-filled complex-shaped enclosure under the influence of a uniform magnetic field by using control volume finite element method is addressed