Laminar Mixed Convection of Non-Newtonian Nanofluids Flowing Vertically Upward Across a Confined Circular Cylinder

Numerical results on laminar mixed convective heat transfer phenomenon between a confined circular cylinder and shear-thinning type nanofluids are presented. The cylinder is placed horizontally in a confined channel through which nanofluids flow vertically upward. The effect of buoyancy is same as the direction of the flow. Because of existence of mixed convection, governing continuity, momentum, and energy equations are simultaneously solved within the limitations of Boussinesq approximation. The ranges of parameters considered are: volume fraction of nanoparticles, ϕ = 0.005–0.045; Reynolds number, Re = 1–40; Richardson number, Ri = 0–40; and confinement ratio of circular cylinder, λ = 0.0625–0.5. Finally, the effects of these parameters on the streamlines, isotherm contours, individual and total drag coefficients, and local and average Nusselt numbers are thoroughly delineated. The individual and total drag coefficients decrease with the increasing both ϕ and Re; and/or with the decreasing both Ri and λ. The rate of heat transfer increases with the increasing Re, ϕ, Ri, and λ; however, at Re = 30–40, when ϕ > 0.005 and Ri < 2, the average Nusselt number decreases with the increasing Richardson number. Finally, correlations for the total drag coefficient and average Nusselt number are proposed as functions of pertinent dimensionless parameters on the basis of present numerical results.