Dual solutions in Maxwell ternary nanofluid flow with viscous dissipation and velocity slip past a stretching/shrinking sheet

The industrial significance of stability analysis for dual solutions and heat transfer sets the stage for this research. Focusing on Maxwell ternary nanofluid flow, the study aims to enhance thermal conductivity and stability by delving into viscous dissipation and velocity slip effects on a stretching/shrinking sheet. Employing a mathematical model, refined with nondimensional transformations and MATLAB’s BVP4C solver, the research identifies dual solutions and examines the influence of key parameters on fluid dynamics and heat transfer. Results showcase a progressive improvement in convective heat transfer and skin friction from mono nanofluid (NF) to binary hybrid nanofluid (HNF), culminating with ternary hybrid nanofluid (THNF). These improvements are significantly associated with the suction/injection parameter (S), whereas the slip (σ) and elastic (K) parameters enhance thermal transfer but negatively affect skin friction efficiency at elevated levels. The robustness of the upper branch solutions underscores the reliability of these findings. Remarkably, at λ=−1.25 with a nanoparticle volume fraction of 0.04, ternary nanofluids achieve a 2.9% thermal efficiency leap over HNF, which itself surpasses NF by 0.46%. These findings hold potential for significant advancements in sectors such as electronics, manufacturing, energy, biomedical, environmental engineering, aerospace, and automotive, aiming at elevating thermal efficiency.