Numerical modeling of natural convection induced by a heated chip in a square cavity containing an adiabatic obstacle and a hybrid nanofluid Fe₃O₄-Al₂O₃/water

¹ Research team in Smart Electrical, Mechanical and Energy Systems (SEMES), Polydisciplinary Faculty, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco
² Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published online: 22 May 2026

Abstract

In this work, we propose a numerical study of two-dimensional natural convection in a closed square enclosure that encloses an adiabatic square block and contains the hybrid nanofluid 𝐹𝑒3𝑂4-𝐴𝑙2𝑂3/water. The cavity's two horizontal walls are thought to be adiabatic, while its two vertical walls are arranged so that the right wall is totally cold and the left wall is heated by a chip with a width of l = L/2. The average Nusselt number along the cold wall, streamlines, and isotherms are used to report the results. The findings show that fluid flow and heat transfer in the cavity are strongly influenced by the location of the heated chip. The chip's central location produces the most effective heat exchange, while Rayleigh intensification improves convection and raises the average Nusselt number on the cold wall. This arrangement greatly enhances heat transfer inside the cavity and optimizes the distribution of current lines.