Development of magnetothermal convection through an anisotropic porous channel with entropy generation

This study explores the heat transfer and entropy generation aspects in both the hydrodynamically and thermally developing regions of a porous-filled channel. Unlike traditional models that assume fully developed conditions, this work considers the effects of hydrodynamic and thermal anisotropy in the developing region under a constant oblique magnetic field. The momentum and energy equations are discretized using the finite volume method, with the Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure-Linked Equations algorithm employed on a staggered grid to resolve pressure–velocity coupling. The results reveal that an increase in the permeability ratio enhances the heat transfer from the wall up to a certain distance in the channel. This study investigates the relationship between two types of irreversibility, one arising from heat transfer across temperature gradients and the other arising from viscous effects. The overall irreversibility due to the entropy generation decreases with a higher permeability ratio, indicating improved efficiency. The Bejan number, which represents the fraction of total entropy generation attributed to heat transfer, decreases as the inclination angle of the magnetic parameter increases. In contrast, a stronger magnetic field indicated by a higher Hartmann number leads to increased overall entropy generation due to enhanced electromagnetic and viscous dissipation. These findings are valuable for optimizing thermal systems that involve porous media and magnetic fields, especially in applications where minimizing energy loss and maximizing heat transfer are crucial.