Comprehensive study of tri-hybrid nanofluid flow in a vertical channel with Cu, Al₂O₃, and TiO₂ nanoparticles via fractional dynamics and non-local kernel approach

Nanofluids and hybrid nanofluids enhance the transfer of heat with low nanoparticle concentration. Tri-hybrid nanofluids combine different nanoparticles (NPs) to further increase the performance of base fluids. Tri-hybrid nanofluids have significant uses in several industries, including electronic cooling, heat transport, biomedical engineering as well as energy storage systems. This study investigates the thermal performance of tri-hybrid nanofluid in the existence of a magnetic field and porous saturated space along with copper (Cu), aluminium oxide (Al_2O3), and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) NPs dispersed in base fluid, i.e. water (H₂O) flowing through a vertical channel by convection. The resultant partial differential equations based on Atangana-Baleanu time-fractional derivative (having non-singular and non-local kernel) are solved using the Laplace transform along with the appropriate physical conditions. The Stehfest as well as Tzou's numerical approaches are then utilized to compute the Laplace inverse, to check the validity of obtained solutions and to get the graphical representations of, concentration, energy, and velocity fields. The results show that tri-hybrid nanofluids have advanced thermal as well as momentum characteristics compared to nanofluids and hybrid nanofluids.