Activation energy analysis of mobile microorganisms using conductive nanofluid flows: Mitigating toxic algal blooms in biotechnology applications

• Published in: Alexandria engineering journal 2024-04, Vol.92, p.321-335
• Main Authors: Ben Khedher, Nidhal, Majeed, Aaqib, Ijaz, Nouman, Dhahbi, Sami, Khan, Ilyas, Rahimzai, Ariana Abdul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activation Energy; Casson-Micropolar Nanofluid; Computational methods; Convective Boundary condition; Lorentz forces; Riga Surface
• ISSN: 1110-0168
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aej.2024.02.053

Motile microorganisms play a central role in ecosystems in both natural habitats and laboratory settings. Their contribution to nutrient cycling is crucial and their impact on human health can be significant. Furthermore, they are promising in various biotechnological applications. Ongoing studies of microbial motility represent a dynamic and evolving field of research with profound implications for our understanding of biology, ecology, and environmental science. The thermal properties of the base material are extremely advanced and enable a wide range of industrial, technical and process applications due to their thermal radiation, variable heat transfer properties and activation energy. Researchers are still working hard to find renewable energy sources that are both economical and environmentally friendly. In this regard, the past decade has seen growing interest in the potential of nanoparticles as renewable energy sources. The current study aimed to learn more about the rheological properties of thixotropic nanofluids on the surface of Riga surrounded by rotating bacteria. For this, theoretical investigations have been performed on 3D magneto-hydrodynamic micropolar-based Casson nanofluid on the surface of Riga surrounded by rotating bacteria. The influence of thermal radiation, activation energy and heat generation are considered in the present scenario. The rheology of Brownian motion, micro rotation and thermophoresis also accounted for. Classical equations of motion in the form of PDEs are transformed into ODEs by applying similarity variables. The converted ODEs are then solved with the help of a shooting algorithm using Bvp4c MATLAB software. From an engineering point of view, the impression of physical flow parameters dimensionless profiles is demonstrated graphically and in the form of tables. The outcomes show that enhancing the porosity parameter significantly reduces the velocity profiles while the opposite behaviour is noted for the viscoelastic parameter. Moreover, temperature and concentration fields are boosted by thermophoresis and concentration exponents. Present results are validated with the existing ones. The current study has the potential to improve the stability achieved by the bioconvection of nanomaterials.