Magnetohydrodynamic thermal characteristics of water-based hybrid nanofluid-filled non-Darcian porous wavy enclosure: effect of undulation

Purpose The aims of this study is to numerically investigate the thermal phenomena during magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) free convection in an oblique enclosure filled with porous media saturated with Cu–Al2O3/water hybrid nanofluid and heated at the left wavy wall. The thermophysical phenomena are explored thoroughly by varying the amplitude (λ) and undulation (n) of the wavy wall and the inclination of the enclosure (γ) along with other pertinent physical parameters. Darcy–Rayleigh number (Ram), Darcy number (Da), Hartmann number (Ha) and nanoparticle volumetric fraction (ϕ). The effect of all parameters has been analyzed and represented by using heatlines, isotherms, streamlines, average Nusselt number and local Nusselt number. Design/methodology/approach The finite volume method is used to work out the transport equations coupled with velocity, pressure and temperature subjected to non-uniform staggered grid structure after grid-sensitivity analysis by an indigenous computing code and the semi-implicit method for pressure linked equations (SIMPLE) algorithm. The solution process is initiated following an iterative approach through the alternate direction implicit sweep technique and the tridiagonal matrix algorithm (TDMA) algorithm. The iterative process is continued until successive minimization of the residuals ( Findings This study reveals that the increase in the heating surface area does not always favor heat transfer. An increase in the undulation amplitude enhances the heat transfer; however, there is an optimum value of undulation of the wavy wall for this. The heat transfer enhancement because of the wall curvature is revealed at higher Ram, lower Da and Ha and lower volume fraction of nanoparticles. In general, this augmentation is optimum for four undulations of the wavy wall with an amplitude of λ = 0.3. The heat transfer enhancement can be more at the cavity inclination γ = 45°. Research limitations/implications The technique of this investigation could be used in other multiphysical areas involving partial porous layers, conducting objects, different heating conditions, wall motion, etc. Practical implications This study is to address MHD thermo-fluid phenomena of Cu–Al2O3/water-based hybrid nanofluid flow through a non-Darcian porous wavy cavity at different inclinations. The amplitude and number of undulations of the wavy wall, permeability of the porous medium, magnetic field intensity, nanoparticle volumetric fraction and inclinations of the enclosure play a significant role in the heat transfer process. This analysis and the findings of this work can be useful for the design and control of similar thermal systems/devices. Originality/value Many researchers have examined the problem of buoyancy-induced free convection in a wavy-porous cavity packed with regular fluids or nanofluids. However, the effect of magnetic fields along with the amplitude (λ) at different undulations (n) of the heated wavy wall of an inclined enclosure is not attended so far to understand the transport mechanisms. Most often, the evolutions of the thermo-fluid phenomena in such complex geometries invoking different multiphysics are very intricate. Numerical implementations for simulations and subsequent post-processing of the results are also challenging.