Sensitivity and numerical investigations of an MHD elastico-viscous hybrid nanofluid flow between two rotating disks

The heat and mass transfer of nanoparticle suspensions between rotating disks has gained significant research interest due to its wide industrial applications. This study investigates the thermal behaviour of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) ethylene glycol-based elastico-viscous hybrid nanofluids, incorporating nonlinear radiation, heat source, and chemical reaction effects. The governing equations, derived from conservation laws, are transformed into a non-dimensional form and solved using the spectral local linearization method (SLLM). The accuracy and the convergence of the method are established. Graphical and tabular representations of the fluid profiles demonstrating how key parameters influence fluid behaviour are shown. Results show that the presence of thermal radiation parameter, Eckert number, heat source, and nonlinear radiation effects augment the fluid temperature. Findings also uncovered that the magnetic field and elastico-viscous fluid parameters reduce tangential and axial velocities but enhance temperature distribution. Sensitivity analysis highlights the influence of each parameter near the disk walls, with the Reynolds number having the most significant effect with 239.66% on radial drag force. Additionally, viscous dissipation parameter, magnetic field strength, and temperature-dependent heat sources notably affect heat transfer rates with 33.72%, 19.21%, and 20.97%, respectively. These findings offer valuable insights for optimising thermal systems performance, such as processing plants, heat exchangers, electronic cooling systems, and nuclear reactors.