MHD peristaltic transport of spherical and cylindrical magneto-nanoparticles suspended in water

Advancements in the biomedical engineering have enhanced the usage of magnto-nanoparticles in improving the precision and efficiency of the magneto-drug delivery systems. Such systems make use of the externally applied magnetic fields to direct the drug towards a specific target in the human body. Peristalsis of magneto-nanofluids is of significant importance in such considerations. Hence peristaltic transport of Fe3O4-water nanofluid through a two-dimensional symmetric channel is analyzed in the presence of an externally applied constant magnetic field. Hamilton-Crosser’s model of the thermal conductivity is utilized in the problem development. The nanofluid saturates a non-uniform porous medium in which the porosity of the porous medium varies with the distance from the channel walls. Analysis is performed for the spherical and the cylindrical nanoparticles. Resulting system of equations is numerically solved. Impacts of sundry parameters on the axial velocity, temperature, pressure gradient and heat transfer rate at the boundary are examined. Comparison between the results for spherical and cylindrical nanoparticles is also presented. Results show that the nanoparticles volume fraction and the Hartman number have increasing effect on the pressure gradient throughout the peristaltic tract. Effective heat transfer rate at the boundary tends to enhance with an increase in the nanoparticles volume fraction. Use of spherical nanoparticles results in a higher value of axial velocity and the temperature at the center of channel when compared with the case of cylindrical nanoparticles.