Cylinder coating through electromagnetic Williamson ternary hybrid nanofluid employing nanoparticle radius, and interparticle spacing effects

Purpose This study aims to present a numerical investigation of the thin film thermal coating process using an electromagnetic Williamson ternary hybrid nanofluid (THNF), including (MWCNT [multi-walled carbon nanotubes] + SiO2 [silicon dioxide] + MoS2 [molybdenum disulfide]) materials, incorporating the nanoparticle radius and interparticle spacing effects. Design/methodology/approach The control volume finite element method (CVFEM) is used for high-accuracy numerical analysis. The homotopy analysis method (HAM) is also applied to obtain the series solution of the transform system of equations. The effects of nanoparticle volume fraction, nanoparticle radius, interparticle spacing, Eckert number and electromagnetic interactions are the main features of this model. Findings The increasing nanoparticle volume fraction significantly improves heat transfer. At 5% volume fraction, the THNF achieves an 18.072% increase, the hybrid nanofluid reaches 15.576% and the single-component MWCNT nanofluid improves by 11.665%.Ternary hybrids are observed ideal for cooling applications, thermal energy storage and industrial heat exchangers. Through the sensitivity analysis, it is detected that the model problem’s stability is mainly dependent on the thin film thickness. Originality/value Thin film thermal coating over cylinder using the Williamson fluid is a novel contribution. The combination of MWCNT, SiO2 and MoS2 nanomaterials results in a Williamson ternary hybrid nanofluid for the thermal coating, which is a new addition. Nanoparticle radius and interparticle spacing effects are essential for the tiny layer of thin film that is considered in this study. Electromagnetic effect, thermal radiation, thermal convection, porous medium and variable thickness of the thin film are the other novel features of this study. The two methods Control Volume Finite Element Method (CVFEM), and Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM) is also a novel contribution.