Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to perform numerical simulations based on the incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (ISPH) method for thermo-diffusion convection in a hexagonal-shaped cavity saturated by a porous medium and suspended by a nano-encapsulated phase change material (NEPCM). Here, the solid particles are inserted into a phase change material to enhance its thermal performance. Design/methodology/approach Superellipse rotated shapes with variable lengths are embedded inside a hexagonal-shaped cavity. These inner shapes are rotated around their center by a uniform circular velocity and their conditions are positioned at high temperature and concentration. The controlling equations in a non-dimensional form were analyzed by using the ISPH method. At first, the validation of the ISPH results is performed. Afterward, the implications of a fusion temperature, lengths/types of the superellipse shapes, nanoparticles parameter and time parameter on the phase change heat transfer, isotherms, isoconcentration and streamlines were addressed. Findings The achieved simulations indicated that the excess in the length of an inner superellipse shape augments the temperature, concentration and maximum of the streamlines in a hexagonal-shaped cavity. The largest values of mean Nusselt number are attained at the inner rhombus shape with convex (n = 1.5) and the largest values of mean Sherwood number are attained at the inner rectangle shape with rounded corners (n = 4). Originality/value The ISPH method is developed to emulate the influences of the uniform rotation of the novel geometry shapes on heat/mass transport inside a hexagonal-shaped cavity suspended by NEPCM and saturated by porous media.