Abstract

Efficient thermal management is vital in modern mechanical and energy systems, where conventional engine oils often exhibit limited heat transfer capabilities. This study investigates the enhancement of thermal convection in engine oil by dispersing molybdenum tetrasulfide nanoparticles (MoS₄) to form a high-performance nanofluid. The natural convection behavior of this nanofluid is analyzed within a square porous cavity featuring uniformly heated horizontal walls and isothermally cooled vertical walls. The governing equations are developed using scaling variables and the Boussinesq approximation and solved numerically through the finite element method. The effects of nanoparticle volume fraction (0–0.07), Rayleigh number (10³–10⁶), and Darcy number (10⁻⁵–10⁻²) are systematically examined. Results show that increasing the MoS₄ nanoparticle concentration substantially enhances convective heat transfer, with the average Nusselt number rising by up to 28 % and the peak stream function reaching 17.0 at a volume fraction of 0.07 under low Darcy and Rayleigh conditions. These findings demonstrate that even minimal nanoparticle addition can significantly improve the heat transport capability of engine oils in porous enclosures. The study introduces a novel combination of molybdenum tetrasulfide-based nanofluids and porous media analysis, extending beyond prior work by quantifying the coupled effects of nanoparticle concentration and porous resistance on buoyancy-driven flow performance.