Abstract
Background: In this paper, transient two-dimensional laminar boundary layer viscous incompressible free convective flow of water based nanofluid with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) past a moving vertical cylinder with variable surface temperature is studied numerically in the presence of thermal radiation and heat generation.
Methods: The prevailing partial differential equations which model the flow with initial and boundary conditions are solved by implicit finite difference method of Crank Nicolson type, which is unconditionally stable and convergent. Results: Influence of Grashof number (Gr), nanoparticle volume fraction (φ), heat generation parameter (Q), temperature exponent (m), radiation parameter (N) and time (t) on velocity and temperature profiles are sketched graphically and elaborated comprehensively. Conclusion: Analysis of Nusselt number and Skin friction coefficient is also discussed numerically for both single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs).Keywords: Carbon nanotubes, water-based nanofluid, free convection, implicit finite difference numerical method, transient flow, vertical cylinder, thermal radiation, heat generation.
Graphical Abstract