Numerical Investigation of Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Natural Convection in a Nanofluid Filled Trapezoidal Cavity Considering the Use of Obstacle Shape, Wall Corrugation, and Inclination Angle — Oak Academic Publishing
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Numerical Investigation of Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Natural Convection in a Nanofluid Filled Trapezoidal Cavity Considering the Use of Obstacle Shape, Wall Corrugation, and Inclination Angle
Department of Mathematics, Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET), Gazipur, Bangladesh
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Department of Mathematics, Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET), Gazipur, Bangladesh
1 Department of Mathematics, Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET), Gazipur, Bangladesh
2 Department of Mathematics, Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET), Gazipur, Bangladesh
This study presents a numerical investigation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) natural convection in a nanofluid-filled trapezoidal cavity, focusing on the combined effects of internal obstacle shape, wall corrugation, and inclination angle. Using Cu-H 2 O nanofluid and the finite element method, simulations were performed for Rayleigh numbers ranging from 10 3 to 10 6 , Hartmann numbers from 0 to 50, and inclination angles of 15˚, 30˚, and 45˚. Results show that both obstacle geometry and wall corrugation profile strongly influence thermal performance. Square-shaped obstacles with triangular wavy walls achieved the highest Nusselt numbers, while sinusoidal walls provided superior thermodynamic efficiency, particularly at lower inclination angles. Increasing Hartmann numbers suppressed convective motion, as reflected by decreased Nu and ECOP values across all cases. The influence of geometric features, specifically obstacle shape and wall corrugation, was found to be most significant at low Rayleigh numbers, where buoyancy-driven flow is weaker and geometric modulation governs heat transport. The optimal configuration for enhanced heat transfer and energy efficiency was identified as square obstacles with sinusoidal or triangular walls at a 15˚ inclination and low Ha. These findings offer valuable guidance for designing thermally efficient enclosures in electronics cooling, solar collectors, and microfluidic systems, where controlling convection under magnetic effects is essential.
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