International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics

Volume 117 No. 12 2017, 213-221

ISSN: 1311-8080 (printed version); ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version)
url: http://www.ijpam.eu
Special Issue
ijpam.eu

MHD Bioconvection of Nanofluid in a Channel

with Joule Heating and Passive Control

S.P.Geetha1 , M. Bhuvaneswari2 , S. Sivasankaran2,∗ and S.Rajan3

1
Department of Mathematics, Vellalar College for Women,
Erode, Tamilnadu, India
1
geetha sams@rediffmail.com
2
Department of Mathematics, King Abdulaziz University,
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
2
sd.siva@yahoo.com
3
Department of Mathematics, Erode Arts and Science College,
Erode, Tamilnadu, India

Abstract
The effect of Joule heating is examined on fully developed mixed biocon-
vection nanofluid flow with microorganisms in a horizontal channel in the pres-
ence of uniform external magnetic field. The passively controlled nanofluid
model is used to model the flow problem. The governing partial differential
equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations by using suit-
able similarity transformations. They are solved by using homotopy analysis
method (HAM). The results are discussed for different combinations of per-
tinent parameters.
AMS Subject Classification: 76D05, 76M55, 76W05, 80A20.
Key Words and Phrases: Bioconvection, Joule heating, Nanofluid, Chan-
nel, Microorganisms.

1 Introduction

Nanofluid plays a vital role in engineering and technology and it can be used to cool
variety of thermal systems which is a solid fluid composite medium consisting of
particles whose dimensions smaller than 100nm suspended in base fluids are called
Nanofluids invented by Choi [1], which improves the thermal diffusivity, viscosity
and heat transfer coefficient. Different concepts over convective flow of nanofluid
were analysed in [2, 3, 4].

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Bioconvection is a model gesture of microorganisms, which are thicker than

water, swim normally in the light direction and oxygen known as gyrotaxis (opposite
to the gravity) [5]. The maximum number of microorganisms is up swimming, since
their density is greater than the base fluid, this can show to an uncertain density
profile. Also, the bioconvection equations, depend on the continuum model of Pedley
et al.[6], contain the Navier-Stokes equations combined with a conservation equation
of microorganism for an incompressible flow. Hwang and Pedley [7] investigated the
concept of bioconvective uncertainty in a swim upward gyrotactic microorganisms
with static shear. Geng and Kuznetsov [8] investigated the effect of small size
solid particles on the stable state bioconvection plume caused by up swimming of
movable gyrotactic microorganisms. Bahloul et al. [9] analysed the bioconvection of
horizontal gyrotactic microorganisms fluid. The cooling or heating of bioconvection
in a horizontal part of fluid with microorganisms by Nield and Kuznetsov [10].
Alloui et al. [11] studied the thermo-bioconvection in a suspension of gyrotactic
microorganisms numerically. Xu and Pop [12] examined the combined bioconvection
flow in a horizontal channel that contains nanofluid which include nanoparticles and
gyrotactic microorganisms.
Magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) flow in channels has received attention due to
applications in MHD pumps and generators, liquid metal and physiological flows
[13, 14, 15, 16]. The effect of Joule heating on forced convection with radiation in the
presence of magnetic field was analysed by Duwairi [17]. A numerical investigation
was carried out for the effect of Joule heating and thermal radiation on magneto-
convection by Zhang [18]. Hayat et al. [19] discussed the Joule heating effect
on third-grade fluid flow with thermal radiation. They concluded that thermal
boundary layer thickness increases with increasing the Eckert number. In this study,
we investigate the effect of Joule heating on mixed bioconvection flow in a horizontal
channel filled with nanofluid and microorganisms based on the model proposed by
Xu and Pop [12].

2 Mathematical Modelling

Consider a combined bioconvection nanofluid flow and heat transfer in a horizontal

channel of distance 2L with gyrotactic microorganisms as shown in Figure 1. The x
and y-axes are considered along the horizontal and vertical directions to the channel
walls. It is assumed that the upper and lower walls are having the same velocity
u = ax. Let T1 and T2 are the temperatures on the upper and the lower walls
respectively, which are constants. Also assume N1 and N2 are the constant density
of the movable microorganisms. Let us consider the nanoparticle volume fraction
is satisfy the passively controlled model on the upper wall where as on the lower
wall it is assumed to be constant. Because of the increase of nanofluid viscosity, we
forced to avoid instability of bioconvection. We aware that the microorganisms are
live only in the water. So the water to be considered as a base fluid. The governing

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equations with above said assumptions are [12]:

∂u ∂v
+ = 0, (1)
∂x ∂y
 2 
∂ζ ∂ζ ∂ ζ ∂2ζ σe B02 ∂u
u +v =ν + + , (2)
∂x ∂y ∂x2 ∂y 2 ρ ∂y
 2 
∂T ∂T ∂ T ∂2T σe B02 u2
u +v =α + + +
∂x ∂y ∂x2 ∂y 2 ρcp
(     "    #)
∂C ∂T ∂C ∂T DT ∂T 2 ∂T 2
τ DB + + + , (3)
∂x ∂x ∂y ∂y T0 ∂x ∂y
 2    2 
∂C ∂C ∂ C ∂2C DT ∂ T ∂2T
u +v = DB + + + , (4)
∂x ∂y ∂x2 ∂y 2 T0 ∂x2 ∂y 2
 2 
∂N ∂N ∂N ∂ ζ ∂2ζ
u +v + =ν + , (5)
∂x ∂y ∂y ∂x2 ∂y 2
where u, v are called velocity components, ζ, ν, σe , B0 , C, ρ, cp , τ, DB , DT , N, T0 , α, µ
is the vorticity, kinematic viscosity, electrical conductivity, magnetic induction,
nanoparticle volume fraction, density, specific heat, ratio of the effective heat ca-
pacity of the nanoparticle to that of the fluid, Brownian diffusion coefficient, ther-
mopheoretic diffusion coefficient, density of microorganisms, lower wall temperature,
thermal diffusivity and dynamic viscosity, respectively.
The boundary conditions are:
dC DT dT
u = ax, v = 0, T = T2 , DB + = 0,
dy T∞ dy
N = N2 at y = L;
∂u
= 0, v = 0, at y = 0;
∂y
u = ax, v = 0, T = T1 , C = C1 , N = N1 at y = −L.
The following similarity transformations are used in Eqs.(1) − (5).
y T − T0
ψ(x, y) = axLf (η), η= , θ(η) = ,
L T2 − T0
C − C0 N
φ(η) = , S(η) = .
C0 N2
The modified form of the governing equations are given by
0000 000 0 00 00
f + Re(f f − f f ) − Ha2 f = 0, (6)
00 0 0 0 0 0
θ + (ReP r)f θ + Nb θ φ + Nt (θ )2 + Ha2 Br (f )2 = 0, (7)
00 Nt 00 0
φ + θ + (ReLe)f φ = 0, (8)
Nb
00 0 0 00 0
s − P eb (φ s + sφ ) + (ReSc)f s = 0, (9)
with the boundary conditions
00
f (0) = 0, f (0) = 0, θ(−1) = δθ , φ(−1) = δφ , s(−1) = δs ,
0 0 0
f (1) = 0, f (1) = 1, θ(1) = 1, Nb φ (1) + Nt θ (1) = 0, s(1) = 1.

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2
The dimensionless numbers are given as follows. Re = aLν is the Reynolds number,
the Prandtl number, Nb = τ DαB C0 is the Brownian motion parameter,
P r = αν is 
DT T2 −T0
Nt = τ T0 α
is the thermophoresis parameter, Le = DαB is the Lewis number,
P eb = bW
Dn
c
is the bioconvection Peclet number, Sc = Dνn is the Schmidt number,
L2 B 2 σ 2
Ha = ρ00ν e is the Hartman number and Br = α(T2νu −T0 )cp
is the Brinkman number.
T1 −T0 C1 −C0 N1
Also, δθ = T2 −T0 , δφ = C0 and δs = N2 are constants.
The definition of the local Nusselt number is given by
 
qw x ∂T
Nu = , where the heat flux qw = −k .
k (T2 − T0 ) ∂y y=0
0
Then we get the non-dimensional form of the local Nusselt number as N u = −θ (0).

2.1 Method of solution

Since the governing equations are highly non-linear, it is hard to get the closed form
solutions to this system. So, we can find the series solution for the system (6) − (9)
considered using the Homotopy analysis method (HAM). By using the method,
expand the base functions with corresponding boundary conditions. Also the sub
functions and constants are obtained by using deformation equations of HAM, linear
operator, inverse linear operator. Based on the h-values of all variables, the solutions
are obtained under different combinations of pertinent parameters involved in the
study.

3 Results and discussion

The main objective of this paper is the consequences of the Ohmic dissipation, ther-
mophoresis parameter(Nt ), Brownian motion parameter (Nb ), and passive control
on the dimensionless velocity, temperature, nanoparticle volume fraction, microor-
ganisms density and local Nusselt number for the fixed values hf = −1.5, hθ =
−0.2, hφ = −1.5, hs = −0.5, P r = 1, Sc = 1, Le = 1, P eb = 1, δθ = 0.5, δφ =
0.0, δs = 1.
In Fig.2, the temperature profile increases with increasing the Brinkman number.
This is due to increasing of advection transport inside the channel. The effect of
passive control on φ(η) is clearly seen from the Figure 3(a). The effect is more
pronounced when Re = −15 along the upper wall of the channel. The effect of
nanoparticle volume fraction is high in the upper portion of the channel due to
passive control of the nanoparticles at the upper wall of the channel.
Figure 3(b) shows the profile of microorganisms density S(η) for different values
of the Brinkman number. The microorganisms density behaves different manner
in the lower and upper portions of the channel. That is, microorganisms density
decreases in the lower portion and it increases in the upper portion of the channel
by increasing the Brinkman number.
The influence of Reynolds number, Brownian motion parameter, thermophoresis
parameter, Brinkman number and Hartman number on local Nusselt number is
established in Fig.4(a)-(d). Fig.4(a) indicates that the Nusselt number enhances as

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Br and Ha increases. The Nusselt number enhances first and then diminishes as
Nt increases.

4 Conclusion

The effect of Joule heating on the mixed bioconvection of nanofluid with gyrotactic
microorganisms in a horizontal channel is investigated. The Homotopy analysis
method is used to solve the non linear differential equations and the impacts of
the physical parameters are interpreted. The main concepts are imparted in the
following points:

• Temperature, nanoparticle volume fraction and density of the microorganisms

decrease with increasing Brinkmann number.

• The heat transfer rate enhances with Brinkmann number and Hartmann num-
ber.

• The local Nusselt number enhances first and then diminishes as thermophoresis
parameter increases.

References

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In: The Proceedings of the 1995 ASME International Mechanical Engineering
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non-uniform temperature distributions on Side Walls, Numerical Heat Transfer
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[7] Y. Hwang, T.J. Pedley, Bioconvection under uniform shear: linear stability
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[8] P. Geng, A.V. Kuznetsov, Effect of small solid particles on the development of
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[17] H.M. Duwairi, Viscous and Joule heating effects on forced convection flow from
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[18] J.K. Zhang, B.W. Li, Y.Y. Chen, The Joule heating effects on natural convec-
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Figure 1: Physical configuration

Figure 2: Temperatures profile for different values of Joule heating parameter with
Re = ±15, Ha = 3

(a) (b)

Figure 3. The nanoparticle volume fraction (a) and microorganisms density (b)
profiles for different values of Br with Re = ±15, Ha = 1

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(c) Ha = 1, Nb = 0.5, Re = 5 (d) Br = 1, Nb = 0.5, Re = 5

(e) Nb = Nt = 0.5, Ha = 1 (f) Nb = Nt = 0.5, Re = 5

Figure 3: Nusselt number as a functions of various parameters.

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