Analysis of unsteady mixed convection of Cu–water nanofluid in an oscillatory, lid-driven enclosure using lattice Boltzmann method

The unsteady physics of laminar mixed convection in a lid-driven enclosure filled with Cu–water nanofluid is numerically investigated. The top wall moves with constant velocity or with a temporally sinusoidal function, while the other walls are fixed. The horizontal top and bottom walls are, respectively, held at the low and high temperatures, and the vertical walls are assumed to be adiabatic. The governing equations along with the boundary conditions are solved through D2Q9 fluid flow and D2Q5 thermal lattice Boltzmann network. The effects of Richardson number and volume fractions of nanoparticles on the fluid flow and heat transfer are investigated. For the first time in the literature, the current study considers the mechanical power required for moving the top wall of the enclosure under various conditions. This reveals that the power demand increases if the enclosure is filled with a nanofluid in comparison with that with a pure fluid. Keeping a constant heat transfer rate, the required power diminishes by implementing a temporally sinusoidal velocity on the top wall rather than a constant velocity. Reducing frequency of the wall oscillation leads to heat transfer enhancement. Similarly, dropping Richardson number and raising the volume fraction of the nanoparticles enhance the heat transfer rate. Through these analyses, the present study provides a physical insight into the less investigated problem of unsteady mixed convection in enclosures with oscillatory walls.