Exact Analytical Determination of Nusselt Number for Flow Through a Microchannel Under Electric and Magnetic Field

Abstract

This paper investigates a comprehensive theoretical study on the thermal transport characteristics of the thermally fully developed combined electroosmotic and pressure-driven flow in a rectangular microchannel by considering a uniform heat flux at the wall. Imposed pressure gradient and variations of electric and magnetic effects are taken in the analysis to establish an exact closed-form solution. Results are presented for the electromagnetohydrodynamic flow and it clearly highlights the variations of nondimensional parameters of velocity, temperature, and Nusselt number as objective parameters to be mainly focused in this study. The value of Brinkman number and Hartman number influences Nusselt number for the heat transfer and controls the value of Joule heating effects in the absence of viscous dissipation term. As the Nusselt number is determined analytically, the present study can have ability to estimate the thermal design aspect in microchannel flow easily.