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Doctoral Degrees (Mathematics and Computer Science Education)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/7140

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Mathematics and Computer Science Education) by Subject "Bivariate spectral quasilinearization method."

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    A numerical study of entropy generation in nanofluid flow in different flow geometries.
    (2021) Mburu, Zachariah Mbugua.; Sibanda, Precious.
    This thesis is concerned with the mathematical modelling and numerical solution of equations for boundary layer flows in different geometries with convective and slip boundary conditions. We investigate entropy generation, heat and mass transport mechanisms in non-Newtonian fluids by determining the influence of important physical and chemical parameters on nanofluid flows in various flow geometries, namely, an Oldroyd-B nanofluid flow past a Riga plate; the combined thermal radiation and magnetic field effects on entropy generation in unsteady fluid flow in an inclined cylinder; the impact of irreversibility ratio and entropy generation on a three-dimensional Oldroyd-B fluid flow along a bidirectional stretching surface; entropy generation in a double-diffusive convective nanofluid flow in the stagnation region of a spinning sphere with viscous dissipation and a study of the fluid velocity, heat and mass transfer in an unsteady nanofluid flow past parallel porous plates. We assumed that the nanofluids are electrically conducting and that the velocity slip and shear stress at the boundary have a linear relationship. We also consider different boundary conditions for all the flow models. The study further analyzes and quantifies the influence of each source of irreversibility on the overall entropy generation. The transport equations are solved using two recent numerical methods, the overlapping grid spectral collocation method and the bivariate spectral quasilinearization method, first to determine which of these methods is the most accurate, and secondly to authenticate the numerical accuracy of the results. Further, we determine the skin friction coefficient and the changes in the heat and mass transfer coefficients with various system parameters. The results show, inter alia that reducing the heat transfer coefficient, the particle Brownian motion parameter, chemical reaction parameter, Brinkman number, thermophoresis parameter and the Hartman number all lead individually to a reduction in entropy generation. The overlapping grid spectral collocation method gives better computational accuracy and converge faster than the bivariate spectral quasilinearization method. The fluid flow problems have engineering and industrial applications, particularly in the design of cooling systems and in aerodynamics.
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    A numerical study of heat transfer and entropy generation in Powell-Eyring nanofluid flows.
    (2020) Ogunseye, Hammed Abiodun.; Sibanda, Precious.
    The heat transfer in non-Newtonian nanofluid flow through different geometries is an important research area due to the wide application of these fluids in biomedical, chemical and thermal engineering processes. The continuous generation of entropy leads to exergy loss which reduces the performance and efficiency of any physical system, therefore, the minimization of entropy generation becomes necessary. In this thesis, we present a numerical study of heat transfer and entropy generation in non-Newtonian nanofluid flows. We study the flow of a Powell-Eyring nanofluid, using models developed from experimental data. The equations that model the flow are, in each case, reduced to systems of nonlinear differential equations using Lie group theory scaling transformations. Accurate, efficient and rapidly converging spectral numerical techniques including the spectral quasilinearizzation, spectral local linearization and bivariate spectral quasilinearization methods are used to find the numerical solutions. The results show, among other findings, that increasing either the nanoparticle volume fraction or thermal radiation parameter enhances the nanofluid temperature, entropy generation and the Bejan number. In addition, we find that the Nusselt number increases with the temperature ratio parameter and thermal radiation. The results from this study may find use in the design of cooling devices to enhance and optimize the performance of thermal systems.