Computational simulation of surface tension and gravitation-induced convective flow of a nanoliquid with cross-diffusion: An optimization procedure.

• The conventional model for thermo-solutal mixed Marangoni flow is modified by incorporating the solutal buoyancy force effects. • The nanoliquid is modeled by considering experimentally estimated properties. • The conventional thermosolutal and thermal Marangoni flow cases can be obtained as a limiting case of the present problem. • The dynamics of the nanoliquid flow are visualized for the buoyancy-assisted and opposed flow cases. • The optimum levels of heat and mass transport is obtained at the high level of thermal radiation and the low levels of the cross-diffusion aspects. The control of heat transfer in the hydromagnetic semiconductor crystal involves Marangoni convection with buoyancy forces. In this study, the conventional thermo-solutal Marangoni mixed flow model is modified by incorporating the solutal buoyancy effects that are significant in the flow phenomenon. The heat and mass transfer (HMT) characteristics of the Marangoni convective flow of a Cu − H 2 O nanofluid subjected to the assisting/resisting buoyancy forces and cross-diffusion are numerically studied. The homogeneous single-phase nanoliquid model is used in conjunction with experimental data of dynamic viscosity and thermal conductivity. The Dufour and Soret effects are considered. Governing equations are solved using the finite difference-based algorithm. The problem is analyzed in a unified way considering the cases of buoyancy-assisted flow and buoyancy-opposed flow. The response surface methodology (RSM) based on the face-centered composite design (CCD) is used to optimize the heat and mass transfer rates. A multivariate regression model is proposed and authenticated prior to optimization. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is performed using the full quadratic regression model. The increase in the temperature profile is more significant due to the radiative heat flux than the inclined magnetic field. Heat transfer has a high sensitivity to the appearance of thermal radiation, while mass transfer has a high sensitivity to the Soret effect. Simultaneous optimization of HMT rates is achieved with the high level of thermal radiation and low levels of the cross-diffusion aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]