Magnetohydrodynamic Squeezing Flow Dynamics

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) squeezing flow describes the behaviour of electrically conducting fluids confined between two approaching surfaces under the influence of a magnetic field. As the surfaces converge, the fluid is expelled radially, generating complex interactions between viscous, inertial and electromagnetic forces. Key control parameters include the squeeze parameter, which quantifies the rate of surface approach; the Hartmann number, which measures magnetic field strength relative to viscous forces; and characteristic Reynolds and Prandtl numbers, which govern momentum and thermal diffusion. Analytical approaches often employ similarity transformations to reduce governing partial differential equations to ordinary differential form, solved by techniques such as homotopy analysis, perturbation methods or numerical solvers. Practical applications span lubrication in rotating machinery, microfluidic pumping, cooling of electronic devices and targeted drug delivery. Advances in hybrid nanofluids and ferrofluids have further extended potential for enhanced heat transfer and tunable flow resistance, while challenges remain in accounting for non-Newtonian rheology, thermal radiation and chemical reactions in porous or deformable boundaries.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have explored unsteady three-dimensional squeezing flow of Newtonian fluid in a rotating channel with a permeable lower wall under a uniform magnetic field and thermal radiation. Employing similarity transformations and the homotopy analysis method, investigators demonstrated that increasing the squeeze parameter elevates radial velocity while reducing temperature and concentration profiles. The magnetic number was shown to attenuate velocity in certain directions, with dual behaviour along the primary axis as field strength increases. Additional investigation of Dufour, Soret and Eckert numbers revealed coupled influences on thermal and mass distributions, underlining the importance of thermosolutal effects in MHD flows.

Foundational work on hybrid nanofluid squeezing flow between parallel plates has quantified heat transfer enhancement in copper–alumina/water suspensions. Numerical solutions indicated that hybrid nanofluids can boost heat transfer by up to 7 per cent at the upper plate and 4 per cent at the lower plate. It was observed that stronger squeezing deteriorates the heat transfer coefficient, while wall suction augments cooling performance. The presence of a magnetic field generally suppressed thermal convection, highlighting trade-offs in field-driven flow control.

Magnetohydrodynamic Squeezing Flow Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in magnetohydrodynamic squeezing flow dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Hartmann number: Dimensionless quantity expressing the ratio of electromagnetic to viscous forces in conducting fluids.

Squeeze parameter: Dimensionless rate at which bounding surfaces approach or separate in a squeezing flow configuration.

Similarity transformation: Mathematical technique that reduces partial differential equations to ordinary differential form by combining independent variables.

Hybrid nanofluid: Colloidal suspension combining two or more types of nanoparticles in a base fluid to achieve enhanced thermal and magnetic properties.

Homotopy analysis method: Semi-analytical technique for constructing convergent series solutions to nonlinear boundary-value problems.

References

1. A parametric study on the analysis of thermosolutal convection for magneto-hydrodynamics dependent viscous fluid. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. Unsteady squeezing flow of Cu-Al2O3/water hybrid nanofluid in a horizontal channel with magnetic field. Scientific Reports (2021).
3. Magnetohydrodynamics squeeze flow of sodium alginate-based Jeffrey hybrid nanofluid with heat sink or source. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering (2023).
4. Numerical Simulation of Mixed Convection Squeezing Flow of a Hybrid Nanofluid Containing Magnetized Ferroparticles in 50%:50% of Ethylene Glycol–Water Mixture Base Fluids Between Two Disks With the Presence of a Non-linear Thermal Radiation Heat Flux. Frontiers in Chemistry (2020).
5. Slip Effects on MHD Squeezing Flow of Jeffrey Nanofluid in Horizontal Channel with Chemical Reaction. Mathematics (2021).