Mixed convection flow of non-Newtonian fluid in a porous inlet-outlet chamber formed by faults causing earthquakes

This paper relates to FEM-based numerical analysis for mixed convection flow of non-Newtonian Bingham fluid and heat transport in a porous inlet-outlet chamber produced by faults causing earthquakes. The chamber formed by faults during earthquakes has significant applications in energy processes, extraction of geothermal energy, and enhanced fluid dynamics in the subsurface reservoirs. These fault chambers facilitate natural fluid mixing for improving heat transmission and energy storage in the form of compressed air or fluids. This problem is developed to study fluid dynamics and convective processes of geothermal systems. It is mostly caused by the tensional fault zone which is formed by accumulated energy of radioactive material disintegration. This chamber is accountable for energy transport in the form of heat. A laminar, incompressible, and steady fluid flow is considered. Impact of magnetohydrodynamics through Lorentz force is invoked. Mixed convective Darcy–Forchheimer flow of Bingham fluid is taken into account. A corrugated heated obstacle is positioned at the center of the chamber. The governing nonlinear PDEs are modified into dimensionless form. Dimensionless equations are solved by a finite element scheme. Impacts of several variables such as Reynolds number [Formula: see text], Hartmann number ([Formula: see text]), Darcy number ([Formula: see text]), and Bingham number ([Formula: see text]) on velocity flow field and heat distributions are studied. Streamlines and isotherm contours are illustrated in the discussion section. Heat transport rates are discussed. Heat transmission improves up to 58% and 30% by enhancing Re and Da, respectively, and it reduces for Ha and Bn up to 29% and 27%, respectively.