Comparative Performance Analysis of Cu and Fe₃O₄ Nanofluids in Heat Transfer Applications

This study presents a comparative analysis of the heat transfer characteristics of copper (Cu) and magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanofluids in a water-based medium. The three-dimensional flow of these nanofluids over a stretching surface is analyzed by incorporating the effects of Coriolis and Lorentz forces. The investigation further considers thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, Joule heating, internal heat generation, and convective boundary conditions to evaluate the efficiency of both nanofluids under identical operating conditions. The governing equations are formulated, reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) through similarity transformations, and solved numerically using the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg (RKF) method. The results reveal that the Cu-based nanofluid exhibits superior heat transfer enhancement compared to the Fe₃O₄ nanofluid. These findings advance the understanding of nanofluid thermal performance in complex flow environments and provide insights for optimizing heat transfer efficiency in industrial and engineering applications.