Electroosmotic peristaltic pumping of temperature-dependent Jeffrey nanofluid in a helical channel with magnetic effects

Abstract This study investigates the peristaltic transport of a temperature-dependent Jeffrey nanofluid through a helically curved channel under the combined influence of electroosmosis and an applied magnetic field. Such flow configurations are essential in micro-pumping systems inspired by biological processes, particularly those used in ocular drug delivery. The suspension of nanoparticles alters both viscosity and thermal conductivity in a temperature-dependent manner, which is crucial for accurately predicting flow behavior and heat transfer in cooling devices and drug-delivery systems. A modified Buongiorno nanofluid framework incorporating thermophoretic and Brownian diffusion effects is employed. Through dimensional reduction and lubrication approximations, the nonlinear governing equations are simplified and subsequently solved using the Homotopy Perturbation Method (HPM). The resulting velocity fields, temperature profiles, nanoparticle concentration, and streamline are presented for a range of physiologically significant parameters, revealing that channel curvature affects the upper and lower wall regions in distinct ways. The velocity increases with higher curvature, but the trend is reversed for the interval $$[0, 1]$$ , while the pressure rise increases for large values of magnetic and Jeffery fluid parameters. The novelty of this work lies in the formulation of a coupled electroosmotic–magnetohydrodynamic peristaltic model for a temperature-dependent Jeffrey nanofluid in a helically curved geometry, a combination not previously addressed in existing studies. This unique configuration captures asymmetric curvature-driven flow features and provides new insights into nanoparticle and heat transport under simultaneous thermal variation, electrokinetic forcing, and magnetic control. The outcomes offer improved physical understanding relevant to the design of bio-inspired micro-pumps for energy, medical, industrial, and thermal management applications.