Effect of transverse and parallel magnetic fields on thermal and thermo-hydraulic performances of ferro-nanofluid flow in trapezoidal microchannel heat sink

Purpose This paper aims to study the thermal and thermo-hydraulic performances of ferro-nanofluid flow in a three-dimensional trapezoidal microchannel heat sink (TMCHS) under uniform heat flux and magnetic fields. Design/methodology/approach To investigate the effect of direction of Lorentz force the magnetic field has been applied: transversely in the x direction (Case I);transversely in the y direction (Case II); and parallel in the z direction (Case III). The three-dimensional governing equations with the associated boundary conditions for ferro-nanofluid flow and heat transfer have been solved by using an element-based finite volume method. The coupled algorithm has been used to solve the velocity and pressure fields. The convergence is reached when the accuracy of solutions attains 10–6 for the continuity and momentum equations and 10–9 for the energy equation. Findings According to thermal indicators the Case III has the best performance, but according to performance evaluation criterion (PEC) the Case II is the best. The simulation results show by increasing the Hartmann number from 0 to 12, there is an increase for PEC between 845.01% and 2997.39%, for thermal resistance between 155.91% and 262.35% and ratio of the maximum electronic chip temperature difference to heat flux between 155.16% and 289.59%. Also, the best thermo-hydraulic performance occurs at Hartmann number of 12, pressure drop of 10 kPa and volume fraction of 2%. Research limitations/implications The embedded electronic chip on the base plate generates heat flux of 60 kW/m2. Simulations have been performed for ferro-nanofluid with volume fractions of 1%, 2% and 3%, pressure drops of 10, 20 and 30 kPa and Hartmann numbers of 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12. Practical implications The authors obtained interesting results, which can be used as a design tool for magnetohydrodynamics micro pumps, microelectronic devices, micro heat exchanger and micro scale cooling systems. Originality/value Review of the literature indicated that there has been no study on the effects of magnetic field on thermal and thermo-hydraulic performances of ferro-nanofluid flow in a TMCHS, so far. In this three dimensional study, flow of ferro-nanofluid through a trapezoidal heat sink with five trapezoidal microchannels has been considered. In all of previous studies, in which the effect of magnetic field has been investigated, the magnetic field has been applied only in one direction. So as another innovation of the present