Abstract
•Free convection ferrofluid flow is modeled.•Thermal radiation and magnetic field are addressed.•Nanofluid in an enclosure with elliptic cylinders is taken.•Numerical simulation is carried out.
Magnetohydrodynamic ferrofluid radiation and free convection heat transfer is investigated numerically using Control Volume based Finite Element Method (CVFEM). Nanofluid viscosity is a function of magnetic field strength. Roles of Radiation parameter (Rd), inclination angle (ξ), Fe3O4-water volume fraction (ϕ), Hartmann (Ha) and Rayleigh (Ra) numbers are illustrated. A formula for average Nusselt number is derived. Results proved that Nusselt number augments for larger buoyancy forces and radiation parameter. Nusselt number decays through rise of Lorentz forces. Rate of heat transfer augments when inclination angle is increased.