Bioconvection flow of Prandtl–Eyring nanofluid in the presence of gyrotactic microorganisms

Abstract

Abstract This work presents a theoretical numerical study of the bioconvection flow of Prandtl–Eyring nanofluid through a stretching cylinder with gyrotactic microorganisms. The mathematical model developed also incorporated the inclined magnetic field and heat generation effects. Further, stratification conditions are considered at the boundary of the stretched cylinder. The described flow problem conducting coupled high‐order partial differential equations (PDEs) is first reduced to the nonlinear system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by introducing suitable mathematical transformations. The resulting highly nonlinear flow equations are treated numerically by applying the shooting method. A comparison of the adapted method with previously reported data is also made to validate the presented results. The comparisons are in excellent agreement. The individual effect of controlling flow parameters/numbers on the flow profiles and physical quantities of engineering interest are represented graphically with physical descriptions. The significant results of the present analysis revealed that a rise in bioconvection Rayleigh number, thermal Grashof number, and angle of inclination boosts the velocity profile. The study shows that thermal stratification, mass stratification, and motile density stratification parameters diminish the temperature, concentration, and microorganism profiles, respectively. The nondimensional Sherwood number is decelerated significantly by thermophoresis and mass stratification parameters.