Stagnation-point flow past a shrinking sheet in a nanofluid

In this paper, the stagnation-point flow and heat transfer towards a shrinking sheet in a nanofluid is considered. The nonlinear system of coupled partial differential equations was transformed and reduced to a nonlinear system of coupled ordinary differential equations, which was solved numerically using the shooting method. Numerical results were obtained for the skin friction coefficient, the local Nusselt number as well as the velocity and temperature profiles for some values of the governing parameters, namely the nanoparticle volume fraction φ, the shrinking parameter λand the Prandtl number Pr. Three different types of nanoparticles are considered, namely Cu, Al₂O₃ and TiO₂. It was found that nanoparticles of low thermal conductivity, TiO₂, have better enhancement on heat transfer compared to nanoparticles Al₂O₃ and Cu. For a particular nanoparticle, increasing the volume fraction φ results in an increase of the skin friction coefficient and the heat transfer rate at the surface. It is also found that solutions do not exist for larger shrinking rates and dual solutions exist when λ < −1.0.     

Stagnation point flow of a micropolar fluid towards a stretching sheet

The steady two-dimensional stagnation point flow of an incompressible micropolar fluid over a stretching sheet when the sheet is stretched in its own plane with a velocity proportional to the distance from the stagnation point, has been studied in this paper. The resulting equations of non-linear ordinary coupled differential equations are solved numerically using the Keller-box method. The results obtained for velocity, microrotation and skin friction are shown in tables and graphs. Comparison with the recent results of Mahapatra and Gupta {Heat Mass Transfer 38 (2002) 517} for the corresponding problem of a viscous fluid (K=0) has been done and it has been shown that the results are in excellent agreement.     

MHD mixed convection flow near the stagnation-point on a vertical permeable surface

The steady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) mixed convection boundary layer flow of a viscous and electrically conducting fluid near the stagnation-point on a vertical permeable surface is investigated in this study. The velocity of the external flow and the temperature of the plate surface are assumed to vary linearly with the distance from the stagnation-point. The governing partial differential equations are first transformed into ordinary differential equations, before being solved numerically by a finite-difference method. The features of the flow and heat transfer characteristics for different values of the governing parameters are analyzed and discussed. Both assisting and opposing flows are considered. It is found that dual solutions exist for both cases, and the range of the mixed convection parameter for which the solution exists increases with suction.     

MHD boundary-layer flow of a micropolar fluid past a wedge with constant wall heat flux

The steady laminar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) boundary-layer flow past a wedge with constant surface heat flux immersed in an incompressible micropolar fluid in the presence of a variable magnetic field is investigated in this paper. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations using similarity variables, and then they are solved numerically by means of an implicit finite-difference scheme known as the Keller-box method. Numerical results show that micropolar fluids display drag reduction and consequently reduce the heat transfer rate at the surface, compared to the Newtonian fluids. The opposite trends are observed for the effects of the magnetic field on the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics.     

Mixed convection boundary layer flow past a wedge with permeable walls

The effects of suction/injection on steady laminar mixed convection boundary layer flow over a permeable horizontal surface of a wedge in a viscous and incompressible fluid is considered in this paper. The similarity solutions of the governing boundary layer equations are obtained for some values of the suction/injection parameter f ₀, the constant exponent m of the wall temperature as well as the mixed convection parameter λ. The resulting system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations is solved numerically for both assisting and opposing flow regimes using an implicit finite-difference scheme known as the Keller-box method. Numerical results for the reduced skin friction coefficient, the local Nusselt number, and the velocity and temperature profiles are obtained for various values of parameters considered. Dual solutions are found to exist for the case of opposing flow.     

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO thin films by thermal evaporation

ZnO thin films have been successfully synthesized by thermal evaporation of pure zinc at 900 °C under the flow of different percentages of argon and oxygen gases. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), variable pressure scanning electron microscopy (VPSEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and UV–vis spectroscopy. The aim of this paper is to study the influence of the oxygen percentage on the structural and morphological properties of the ZnO films. VPSEM results show that very thick needle structures were produced at high oxygen percentages. EDS results revealed that only Zn and O are present in the sample, indicating a composition of pure ZnO. XRD results showed that the ZnO synthesized under different quantities of oxygen were crystalline with the hexagonal wurtzite structure. UV–vis spectroscopy results indicated that the optical band gap energies from the transmission spectrum are between 3.62 and 3.69 eV for ZnO thin films.     

Flow and heat transfer characteristics on a moving flat plate in a parallel stream with constant surface heat flux

This paper considers the extended classical Blasius and Sakiadis equations, by considering a uniform free stream parallel to a fixed or moving flat plate, which has more practical significance. It is assumed that the plate is subjected to a constant heat flux, and moves in the same or opposite direction to the free stream. The resulting system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations is solved numerically using a finite-difference method. Numerical results are obtained for the skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number as well as the velocity and temperature profiles for some values of the governing parameters, namely the velocity ratio parameter and the Prandtl number. The results indicate that dual solutions exist when the plate and the free stream move in the opposite directions.     

Falkner-Skan equation for flow past a moving wedge with suction or injection

The characteristics of steady two-dimensional laminar boundary layer flow of a viscous and incompressible fluid past a moving wedge with suction or injection are theoretically investigated. The transformed boundary layer equations are solved numerically using an implicit finite-difference scheme known as the Keller-box method. The effects of Falkner-Skan power-law parameter (m), suction/injection parameter (f0) and the ratio of free stream velocity to boundary velocity parameter (λ) are discussed in detail. The numerical results for velocity distribution and skin friction coefficient are given for several values of these parameters. Comparisons with the existing results obtained by other researchers under certain conditions are made. The critical values off ₀,m and λ are obtained numerically and their significance on the skin friction and velocity profiles is discussed. The numerical evidence would seem to indicate the onset of reverse flow as it has been found by Riley and Weidman in 1989 for the Falkner-Skan equation for flow past an impermeable stretching boundary.     

Melting heat transfer in steady laminar flow over a moving surface

The steady laminar boundary layer flow and heat transfer from a warm, laminar liquid flow to a melting surface moving parallel to a constant free stream is studied in this paper. The continuity, momentum and energy equations, which are coupled nonlinear partial differential equations are reduced to a set of two nonlinear ordinary differential equations, before being solved numerically using the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg method. Results for the skin friction coefficient, local Nusselt number, velocity profiles as well as temperature profiles are presented for different values of the governing parameters. Effects of the melting parameter, moving parameter and Prandtl number on the flow and heat transfer characteristics are thoroughly examined. It is found that the problem admits dual solutions.     

Flow and heat transfer over an unsteady stretching sheet in a micropolar fluid

The unsteady laminar flow of an incompressible micropolar fluid over a stretching sheet is investigated. The unsteadiness in the flow and temperature fields is caused by the time-dependence of the stretching velocity and the surface temperature. Effects of the unsteadiness parameter, material parameter and Prandtl number on the flow and heat transfer characteristics are thoroughly examined.