SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE TERNARY HYBRID NANOFLUID FLOW PAST A PERMEABLE CYLINDER

This numerical study highlights the sensitivity analysis of the ternary copper-alumina-titania/water hybrid nanofluid flow over a permeable cylinder under the influence of magnetic field (MHD), curvature parameter and velocity slip. The governing boundary layer and energy equations are simplified and numerically solved using the bvp4c solver available in Matlab. Meanwhile, the response surface methodology (RSM) and sensitivity analysis are employed using Minitab software to assess the contribution and significance of these physical factors on the selected responses, namely, heat transfer and skin friction coefficients. The findings indicate that velocity slip (factor C) has the most dominant influence on heat transfer enhancement, while curvature (factor B) is the primary determinant of the skin friction coefficient. Moreover, interaction effects, particularly BC (combination of curvature and velocity slip factors) and AC (combination of magnetic parameter and velocity slip factors), significantly impact the flow behaviour, emphasizing the importance of considering coupled parameter interactions for optimizing system performance. The results highlight the practical implications of these findings in heat exchangers, industrial cooling systems, and thermal management technologies, where precise control of flow and heat transfer is crucial.