Impact of Activation Energy and Heat Source/Sink on 3D Flow of Williamson Nanofluid with GaN Nanoparticles over A Stretching Sheet

Several novel techniques for the study of thermophysical characteristics have opened up new avenues for understanding the flow and heat transfer effects in nanofluids, leading to novel applications. There have been studies on nanofluids including different metal, ceramic and magnetic nanoparticles mixed with base fluids such as Water, Kerosene, and Ethylene glycol. However, research using semiconductor nanoparticles is restricted. For the investigation, Gallium nitrite, a binary semiconductor with excellent heat convection combined with base fluid Ethylene glycol in nanoparticle form, is employed. Williamson MHD nanofluid (GaN nanoparticles + Ethylene glycol) is examined across a stretched sheet with porosity under the impact of convective boundary conditions, thermal radiation, thermal source/sink, and activation energy in three dimensions. The governing equations are turned into dimensionless ordinary differential equations via similarity transformations. Numerical analysis was carried out in MATLAB utilizing bvp5c and the shooting technique. The results are visually shown, and plausible scientific explanations for the velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles with respect to different parameters are provided. In addition, the Skin-friction coefficient, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number are presented in tabular form. The velocity and temperature profiles increased while the concentration profile decreased as the volume fraction of Gallium nitride nanoparticles in the Williamson nanofluid increased. Physical significances were also assigned to each observed outcome.