Advancing spectral collocation methods for MHD flow of hybrid nanofluids in porous channels: A Jeffery-Hamel case study

An advanced spectral numerical framework is developed to investigate the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of a hybrid nanofluid in a porous Jeffery-Hamel channel. The governing nonlinear differential equations are solved using the Chebyshev spectral collocation method, ensuring high accuracy and rapid convergence. A comprehensive parametric study is conducted to quantify the effects of the Hartmann number, Reynolds number, porosity, and hybrid nanoparticle volume fractions on velocity distributions and flow characteristics. Results indicate that increasing the Hartmann number or porosity enhances fluid velocity in both converging and diverging channels, while higher nanoparticle concentrations accelerate flow in divergent channels but slightly reduce it in convergent channels. Additionally, flow reversal may occur in diverging channels at sufficiently high Reynolds numbers, whereas converging channels remain free of backflow. The numerical scheme demonstrates rapid convergence within a few iterations and excellent agreement with existing numerical benchmarks, confirming its reliability. The present findings have significant physical and engineering implications, including the optimization of heat transfer, fluid transport, and flow control in porous channels and microfluidic systems. The study provides insights for practical applications involving hybrid nanofluids under MHD conditions, such as advanced cooling technologies, energy systems, and porous media flows.