Thermally stratified Cu–Al2O3/water hybrid nanofluid flow with the impact of an inclined magnetic field, viscous dissipation and heat source/sink across a vertically stretching cylinder

Abstract A numerical study of the thermally stratified flow of H 2 O based Cu − Al 2 O 3 hybrid nanofluid over a linearly stretching cylinder placed vertically in a porous media has been performed. The influences of viscous dissipation, thermal source/sink, and an inclined magnetic field were also considered. Using appropriate similarity transformations, the non‐linear mathematical equations of the flow model are translated into a dimensionless form. The in‐build finite difference Matlab code Bvp4c is used to attain the numerical solution of the transformed non‐linear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Influences of nanoparticles when added to the water and also the flow parameters’ impacts on the flow rate and thermal transport rate are shown in graphs and tables. The results showed that the absolute value of the shear stress of the hybrid nanofluids was enhanced by up to 33% compared to the considered nanofluid. The study also revealed that the heat transport rate in the convective flow region was much higher in hybrid nanofluid as compared to nanofluid. For Cu − Al 2 O 3 /water hybrid nanofluid, the temperature went negative for high thermal stratification. The present study has important implications for the design and optimization of heat transfer devices that use thermally stratified hybrid nanofluids. The results also provide novel insights into the flow behavior of these fluids, that can be used to improve our understanding of their physical properties.