Exploring velocity slip and stability in unsteady ternary nanofluid flow past a permeable stretching/shrinking sheet

This study investigates unsteady ternary hybrid nanofluid flow over a porous stretching/shrinking surface with velocity slip, focusing on enhancing thermal performance. The governing equations are solved using Matlab’s BVP4C function, revealing dual solutions, with stability analysis confirming the first as stable. Results show that boundary layer separation is delayed as the fluid transitions from mono to binary to ternary nanofluids, improving flow stability. Skin friction decreases with higher nanoparticle concentration, while heat transfer efficiency increases as the fluid transitions to ternary nanofluids. Ternary nanofluids exhibit superior convective heat transfer, especially on shrinking surfaces, with the Nusselt number increasing by 3.5% over hybrid and 7.6% over mono nanofluids at a shrinking parameter of −3.5. Temperature rises with greater nanoparticle volume but decreases with more components, enhancing heat transfer. The study’s novelty lies in its dual-solution and stability analysis, providing insights into optimizing nanofluid performance in engineering applications.