Influences of Non-Linear Thermal Radiation and Cattaneo-Christov Heat and Mass Fluxes on Electrical Conductivity of Jeffrey Ternary Hybrid Nanofluid Flow

Abstract

This study investigates the three-dimensional flow of a Jeffrey ternary hybrid nanofluid over a stretching sheet, incorporating nonlinear thermal radiation, magnetic field, permeable porous medium, chemical reaction, suction parameter, nanoparticle volume fraction, joule heating, and time relaxation effects using the Cattaneo-Christov model for heat and mass flux. The energy and concentration equations are analyzed to evaluate the impact of thermophoresis and Brownian motion. Ternary hybrid nanofluids, consisting of Cu, Ag, and Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles suspended in C 2 H 6 O 2 are explored for their potential to enhance thermal transport in critical industrial applications such as automotive engines, solar energy systems, aerospace technologies, and electronic cooling systems. By applying a similarity variable, the complex partial differential equations are reduced to ordinary differential equations, whose solutions are derived using MATLAB’s bvp4c function. The study provides a detailed comparison of the flow characteristics of mono, hybrid, and ternary nanofluids, focusing on the effects of Joule heating, non-linear thermal radiation, and thermal and mass relaxation times on flow behavior under the influence of a magnetic field. The findings reveal that ternary hybrid nanofluids significantly enhance heat transfer rates compared to both hybrid and conventional nanofluids, with nanoparticle concentrations directly improving thermal conductivity, leading to a higher local Nusselt number. Additionally, the temperature profile and thermal boundary layer thickness increase due to Joule heating, Brownian motion, non-linear radiation, and thermophoresis effects. Notably, the study finds that increasing the stretching ratio, Deborah number, and thermal relaxation time results in a reduction in temperature distribution. This work offers novel quantitative insights into the effects of ternary hybrid nanofluids, highlighting their superior heat transfer capabilities in comparison to mono, hybrid nanofluids, and ternary hybrid nanofluids, providing valuable data for optimizing industrial thermal management systems. The results are validated against existing literature, showing excellent agreement, and comprehensive graphical and tabular data are presented to illustrate the influence of various physical parameters on heat and mass transfer dynamics.