MIXED CONVECTION BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW OF ENGINE OIL NANOFLUID ON A VERTICAL FLAT PLATE WITH VISCOUS DISSIPATION

Abstract

The present study investigated the mixed convection boundary layer flow and heat transfer of engine oil nanofluid past a vertical flat plate which mimics the engine oil cooler assembly with the presence of velocity slip for lubricating effects, viscous dissipation and convective boundary conditions. The governing non-linear partial differential equations are first transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations using a similarity transformation before being solved numerically using the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg (RKF45) method. Numerical solutions are obtained for the wall temperature, heat transfer coefficient and the skin friction coefficient as well as the temperature and velocity profiles. The features of the flow and heat transfer characteristics for copper, silver and titanium oxide  engine oil nanofluid are analyzed and discussed. It is found that the titanium oxide engine oil nanofluid scored the lowest values of temperature and skin friction coefficient but provided the highest in heat transfer capabilities compared to  and engine oil nanofluids. Titanium oxide engine oil nanofluid is concluded as the best lubricant to suits the engine needs comparing to copper and silver engine oil nanofluid. It provided low friction and temperature which can prolong the engine component lifetime.