Coupled heat and mass transfer in mixed convection over a vertical flat plate embedded in saturated porous media: PST/PSC or PHF/PMF

A boundary layer analysis is used to investigate the heat and mass transfer characteristics of mixed convection about a vertical flat plate embedded in a saturated porous medium under the coupled effects of thermal and mass diffusion. The plate is maintained at prescribed surface temperature/concentration (PST/PSC) or prescribed heat/mass flux (PHF/PMF). The nonsimilar governing equations are obtained by using a suitable transformation and solved by Keller box method. Numerical results for the local heat transfer rate and the local mass transfer rate are presented for various parameters. The local heat and mass transfer rates increase with increasing n and m and buoyancy parameter ξ. When buoyancy parameter ξ is very small (large) the value of local Nusselt and the local Sherwood number correspond with the pure forced (free) convection, respectively. Increasing buoyancy ratio N (or N ^*) increases the local heat and mass transfer rates. It is apparent that Lewis number has a pronounced effect on the local mass transfer rate than it does on the local heat transfer rate. Furthermore, increasing Lewis number decreases (increases) the local heat (mass) transfer rate. Received on 8 December 1997     

Influence of lateral mass flux on mixed convection heat and mass transfer over inclined surfaces in porous media

 The effect of lateral mass flux on mixed convection heat and mass transfer in a saturated porous medium adjacent to an inclined permeable surface is analyzed. A similarity solution is obtained when surface temperature and concentration, free stream velocity and injection/suction velocity of fluid are prescribed as power functions of distance from the leading edge. The cases when the flow and buoyancy forces are in the same and opposite directions are discussed both for aiding and opposing buoyancy effects. The governing parameters are the mixed convection parameter Gr, the Lewis number Le, the buoyancy ratio N, the lateral mass flux parameter f _w, representing the effects of injection or withdrawal of fluid at the wall, and λ which specifies three cases of the inclined plate. The interactive effect of these parameters on heat and mass transfer rates are presented. It is observed that the diffusion ratio (Le) has a more pronounced effect on concentration field than on flow and temperature fields. It is found that the rates of heat and mass transfer increase with suction and decrease with injection of the fluid. Received on 31 August 2000 / Published online: 29 November 2001     

Heat and mass transfer for micropolar flow with radiation effect past a nonlinearly stretching sheet

In this study, an analysis has been performed for heat and mass transfer with radiation effect of a steady laminar boundary-layer flow of a micropolar flow past a nonlinearly stretching sheet. Parameters n, K, k ₀, Pr, Ec, and Sc represent the dominance of the nonlinearly effect, material effect, radiation effect, heat and mass transfer effects which have presented in governing equations, respectively. The similar transformation, the finite-difference method and Runge–Kutta method have been used to analyze the present problem. The numerical solutions of the flow velocity distributions, temperature profiles, the wall unknown values of θ′(0) and ϕ′(0) for calculating the heat and mass transfer of the similar boundary-layer flow are carried out as functions of n, Ec, k ₀, Pr, Sc. The value of n, k ₀, Pr and Sc parameters are important factors in this study. It will produce greater heat transfer efficiency with a larger value of those parameters, but the viscous dissipation parameter Ec and material parameter K may reduce the heat transfer efficiency. On the other hand, for mass transfer, the value of Sc parameter is important factor in this study. It will produce greater heat transfer efficiency with a larger value of Sc.     

A note on magnetoconvection in a vertical enclosure

The combined effect of viscous and ohmic dissipations on magnetoconvection in a vertical enclosure heated at the vertical side walls in the presence of applied electric field parallel to gravity and magnetic field normal to gravity is investigated. The coupled non-linear equations governing the motion are solved both analytically valid for small buoyancy parameter N and numerically valid for large N. Solutions for large N reveal a marked change in velocity profile, mass flow rate, skin friction and rate of heat transfer. These results are presented for various Hartmann number M, electric field loading parameter E and buoyancy parameter N. It is shown in the case of open circuit (i.e. E ≠ 0) that the effect of magnetic field is to increase both the velocity and temperature in contrast with the short circuit case (i.e. E = 0). The results for the case when the walls are maintained at the same temperatures (i.e. T₁ = T₂) are obtained as a particular case.     

Oberbeck convection flow of a couple stress fluid through a vertical porous stratum

The flow and heat transfer characteristics of Oberbeck convection of a couple stress fluid in a vertical porous stratum is investigated. The perturbation method of solution is obtained in terms of buoyancy parameter N valid for small values of N. This limitation is relaxed through numerical solutions using the finite difference technique with an error of 0.1×10^-7. The effect of increase in the values of temperature difference between the plates, permeability parameter and couple stress parameter on velocity, temperature, mass flow rate, skin friction and rate of heat transfer are reported. A new achievement is explored to analyse the flow for strong, weak and comparable porosity with the couple stress parameter. It is noted that both the porous parameter and the couple stress parameter suppress the flow. Higher-temperature difference is required to achieve the mass flow rate equivalent to that of viscous flow.     

Mixed convection cooling of a heated, continuously stretching surface

 An numerical study of the flow and heat transfer characteristics associated with a heated, continuously stretching surface being cooled by a mixed convection flow has been carried out. The relevant heat transfer mechanisms are of interest in a wide variety of practical applications, such as hot rolling, continuous casting, extrusion, and drawing. The surface velocity of the continuously stretching sheet was assumed to vary according to a power-law form, that is, u _w (x)=Cx ^p . Two conditions of surface heating were considered, a variable wall temperature (VWT) in the form T _w (x)−T _∞=Ax ⁿ and a variable surface heat flux (VHF) in the form q _w (x)=Bx ^m . The governing differential equations are transformed by introducing proper nonsimilarity variables and solved numerically using a procedure based on finite difference approximations. Results for the local Nusselt number and the local friction coefficient are obtained for a wide range of governing parameters, such as the surface velocity parameter p, the wall temperature exponent n, the surface heat flux exponent m, the buoyancy force parameters (ξ for the VWT case and χ for the VHF case), and Prandtl number of the fluid. It is found that the local Nusselt number is increased with increasing the velocity exponent parameter p for the VWT case, while the opposite trend is observed for the VHF case. The local friction coefficient is increased for a decelerated stretching surface, while it is decreased for an accelerated stretching surface. Also, appreciable effects of the buoyancy force on the local Nusselt number and the local friction coefficient are observed for both VWT and VHF cases, as expected. Received on 11 January 1999     

Combined heat and mass transfer along a vertical moving cylinder with a free stream

The mixed convection flow over a continuous moving vertical slender cylinder under the combined buoyancy effect of thermal and mass diffusion has been studied. Both uniform wall temperature (concentration) and uniform heat (mass) flux cases are included in the analysis. The problem is formulated in such a manner that when the ratio λ(= u _w/(u _w + u _∞), where u _w and u _∞ are the wall and free stream velocities, is zero, the problem reduces to the flow over a stationary cylinder, and when λ = 1 it reduces to the flow over a moving cylinder in an ambient fluid. The partial differential equations governing the flow have been solved numerically using an implicit finite-difference scheme. We have also obtained the solution using a perturbation technique with Shanks transformation. This transformation has been used to increase the range of the validity of the solution. For some particular cases closed form solutions are obtained. The surface skin friction, heat transfer and mass transfer increase with the buoyancy forces. The buoyancy forces cause considerable overshoot in the velocity profiles. The Prandtl number and the Schmidt number strongly affect the surface heat transfer and the mass transfer, respectively. The surface skin friction decreases as the relative velocity between the surface and free stream decreases. Received on 17 May 1999     

Effect of buoyancy on the free surface flow past a permeable bed

Laminar steady free surface flow having one permeable bounding wall is investigated in the presence of buoyancy force. The experimental results of Rajasekhara [1] were found to be in good agreement with our theoretical results based on a model which admits slip-velocity at the porous material. The effect of buoyancy force is to increase the velocity distribution in the case of greater heat addition (N_o>0) and to decrease it by a greater cooling (N_o<0). As a result, the mass flow rate increases and the friction factor decreases for N_o>0 and the opposite is true for N_o<0. We further find that the effect of buoyancy force on the temperature distribution is to increase its magnitude. In particular, we find that the rate of heat transfer at its nominal surface is increased in the case of heating (N_o>0) of flow.     

Effect of fin thickness on air-side performance of herringbone wavy fin-and-tube heat exchangers

In the present study, the effects of fin thickness on the heat transfer and friction characteristics of fin-and-tube heat exchangers having herringbone wavy fin configuration are experimentally investigated. The experimental apparatus consists essentially of a well insulated open wind tunnel and herringbone wavy fin-and-tube heat exchangers made from aluminium plate finned, copper tube. Air and water are used to be working fluids in air-side and tube-side, respectively. A total of 10 samples of the fin-and-tube heat exchangers are tested. The experimental procedures are conducted by keeping the inlet water temperature at a pre-selected value, adjusting the water volumetric flow rate at a specific value and varying the air velocity. The results are presented as plots of the Colburn factor and friction factor against the Reynolds number based on the fin collar outside diameter (Re_Dc). From the results, it is found that for number of tube rows (N) = 2, the Colburn factor increases with increasing fin thickness. For N 4, the Colburn factor decreases with increasing fin thickness when Re_Dc < 1800, and increases with increasing fin thickness when Re_Dc > 2500. The friction factor increases with increasing fin thickness when fin pitch (F_p) 1.81 mm.     

Non-Newtonian magnetohydrodynamic flow over a stretching surface with heat and mass transfer

An analysis is carried out to study the momentum, mass and heat transfer characteristics on the flow of visco-elastic fluid (Walter's liquid-B model) past a stretching sheet in the presence of a transverse magnetic field.In heat transfer, two cases are considered:

1.

The sheet with prescribed surface temperature (PST case); and

2.

The sheet with prescribed wall heat flux (PHF case).

The solution of equations of momentum, mass and heat transfer are obtained analytically. Emphasis has been laid to study the effects of various parameters like magnetic parameter Mn, visco-elastic parameter k₁, Schmidt number Sc, and Prandtl number Pr on flow, heat and mass transfer characteristics.     

Air-side performance of louver-finned flat aluminum heat exchangers at a low velocity region

The heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of heat exchangers having louver fins were experimentally investigated. The samples had small fin pitches (1.0–1.4 mm), and experiments were conducted up to a very low frontal air velocity (as low as 0.3 m/s). Below a certain Reynolds number (critical Reynolds number), the fall-off of the heat transfer coefficient curve was observed. The critical Reynolds number was insensitive to the louver angle, and decreased as the louver pitch to fin pitch ratio (L _p /F _p ) decreased. Existing correlations on the critical Reynolds number did not adequately predict the data. The heat transfer coefficient curves crossed over as the Reynolds number decreased. Possible explanation is provided considering the louver pattern between neighboring rows. Different from the heat transfer coefficient, the friction factor did not show the fall-off characteristic. The reason was attributed to the form drag by louvers, which offsets the decreased skin friction at low Reynolds numbers. The friction factor increased as the fin pitch decreased and the louver angle increased. A new correlation predicted 92% of the heat transfer coefficient and 94% of the friction factor within ±10%.     

Natural convection from a vertical cylinder in a thermally stratified porous medium

The problem of non-Darcy natural convection adjacent to a vertical cylinder embedded in a thermally stratified porous medium has been analyzed. Nonsimilarity solutions are obtained for the case that the ambient temperature increases linearly with height of the cylinder. A generalized flow model was used in the present study to include the effects of the macroscopic viscous term and the microscopic inertial force. Also, the thermal dispersion effect is considered in the energy equation. Thus, the main aim of this work is to examine the effects of thermal stratification and non-Darcy flow phenomena on the free convection flow and heat transfer characteristics. It was found that the present problem depends on six parameters, namely, the local thermal stratification parameter ξ, the boundary effect parameter Bp, the modified Grashof number Gr^*, wall temperature exponent m, the curvature parameter ω, and the modified Rayleigh number based on pore diameter Ra _d . The impacts of these governing parameters on the local heat transfer parameter are discussed in great detail. Also, representative velocity and temperature profiles are presented at selected values of the thermal stratification parameter. In general, the local heat transfer parameter is increased with increasing the values of m, ω, and Ra _d ; while it is decreased with increasing the values of ξ, Bp, and Gr^*. Received on 19 May 1998     

Transient MHD stagnation flow of a non-Newtonian fluid due to impulsive motion from rest

The transient boundary layer flow and heat transfer of a viscous incompressible electrically conducting non-Newtonian power-law fluid in a stagnation region of a two-dimensional body in the presence of an applied magnetic field have been studied when the motion is induced impulsively from rest. The non-linear partial differential equations governing the flow and heat transfer have been solved by the homotopy analysis method and by an implicit finite-difference scheme. For some cases, analytical or approximate solutions have also been obtained. The special interest are the effects of the power-law index, magnetic parameter and the generalized Prandtl number on the surface shear stress and heat transfer rate. In all cases, there is a smooth transition from the transient state to steady state. The shear stress and heat transfer rate at the surface are found to be significantly influenced by the power-law index N except for large time and they show opposite behaviour for steady and unsteady flows. The magnetic field strongly affects the surface shear stress, but its effect on the surface heat transfer rate is comparatively weak except for large time. On the other hand, the generalized Prandtl number exerts strong influence on the surface heat transfer. The skin friction coefficient and the Nusselt number decrease rapidly in a small interval 0<t^*<1 and reach the steady-state values for t^*≥4.     

Numerical solutions of free convection boundary layer flow on a solid sphere with Newtonian heating in a micropolar fluid

In this paper, the problem of free convection boundary layer flow on a solid sphere in a micropolar fluid with Newtonian heating, in which the heat transfer from the surface is proportional to the local surface temperature, is considered. The transformed boundary layer equations in the form of partial differential equations are solved numerically using an implicit finite-difference scheme. Numerical solutions are obtained for the local wall temperature, the local skin friction coefficient, as well as the velocity, angular velocity and temperature profiles. The features of the flow and heat transfer characteristics for different values of the material or micropolar parameter K, the Prandtl number Pr and the conjugate parameter γ are analyzed and discussed.     

Compressibility effects in laminar free convection from a vertical cone

In this paper an analysis of the laminar compressible natural convection about a vertical cone is presented. The governing boundary layer equations are suitably transformed and studied in terms of a compressibility variable expansion. The numerical solutions for the first three terms have been obtained for the ratio of specific heats=1.4, and a Prandtl number Pr=0.72, as characteristics of a diatomic gas, and for a range of values of the wall-ambient temperature difference ofA=0.2 to 1000. The numerical results obtained allow an evaluation of the skin friction and heat transfer at the surface of the cone. It is found that the effect of the compressibility is to increase the heat transfer rate at the wall for small values of the wall-ambient temperature difference parameter and to decrease it for large values of this parameter. The skin friction, however, is always reduced.     

Combined effect of viscous dissipation and thermal radiation on fluid flows over a non-linearly stretched permeable wall

An analysis is presented for the steady non-linear viscous flow of an incompressible viscous fluid over a horizontal surface of variable temperature with a power-law velocity under the influences of suction/blowing, viscous dissipation and thermal radiation. Numerical results are illustrated by means of tables and graphs. The governing partial differential equations are converted into nonlinear ordinary differential equations by a similarity transformation. The effects of the stretching parameter n, suction/blowing parameter b, Prandtl number σ, Eckert number E_c(E_c ^* )E_{c}(E_{c}^{ *} ) and radiation parameter N _R are discussed. Two cases are studied, namely, (i) Prescribed surface temperature (PST case) and, (ii) Prescribed heat flux at the sheet (PHF case).     

Non-Darcian Forced Convection Flow of Viscous Dissipating Fluid over a Flat Plate Embedded in a Porous Medium

In this study, laminar boundary layer flow over a flat plate embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium in the presence of viscous dissipation, inertia effect and suction/injection is analyzed using the Keller box finite difference method. The flat plate is assumed to be held at constant temperature. The non-Darcian effects of convection, boundary and inertia are considered. Results for the local heat transfer parameter and the local skin friction parameter as well as the velocity and temperature profiles are presented for various values of the governing parameters. The non-Darcian effects are shown to decrease the velocity and to increase the temperature. It is also shown that the local heat transfer parameter and the local skin friction parameter increase due to suction of fluid while injection reverses this trend. It is disclosed that the effect of the viscous dissipation for negative values of Ec (T _w < T _∞) is to enhance the heat transfer coefficient while the opposite is true for positive values of Ec (T _w > T _∞). The results are compared with those available in the existing literature and an excellent agreement is obtained.     

Temperature dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity effects on combined heat and mass transfer in MHD three-dimensional flow over a stretching surface with Ohmic heating

An analysis has been carried out to obtain the flow, heat and mass transfer characteristics of a viscous electrically conducting fluid having temperature dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity past a continuously stretching surface, taking into account the effect of Ohmic heating. The flow is subjected to a uniform transverse magnetic field normal to the plate. The resulting governing three-dimensional equations are transformed using suitable three-dimensional transformations and then solved numerically by using fifth order Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg scheme with a modified version of the Newton–Raphson shooting method. Favorable comparisons with previously published work are obtained. The effects of the various parameters such as magnetic parameter M, the viscosity/temperature parameter θ _r , the thermal conductivity parameter S and the Eckert number Ec on the velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles, as well as the local skin-friction coefficient, local Nusselt number, and the local Sherwood number are presented graphically and in tabulated form.     

Computational study of combined effects of conduction-radiation and hydromagnetics on natural convection flow past magnetized permeable plate

The computational study of the combined effects of radiation and hydromagnetics on the natural convection flow of a viscous,incompressible,and electrically conducting fluid past a magnetized permeable vertical plate is presented.The governing non-similar equations are numerically solved by using a finite difference method for all values of the suction parameter ξ and the asymptotic solution for small and large values of ξ.The effects of varying the Prandtl number P r,the magnetic Prandtl number P r m,the magnetic force parameter S,the radiation parameter R d,and the surface temperature θ w on the coefficients of the skin friction,the rate of heat transfer,and the current density are shown graphically and in tables.An attempt is made to examine the effects of the above mentioned physical parameters on the velocity profile,the temperature distribution,and the transverse component of the magnetic field.     

Flow of a viscous incompressible fluid of temperature dependent viscosity past a permeable wedge with uniform surface heat flux

 The effect of uniform suction on the steady two-dimensional laminar forced flow of a viscous incompressible fluid of temperature dependent viscosity past a wedge with uniform surface heat flux is considered. The governing equations for the flow are obtained by using suitable transformations and are solved by using an implicit finite difference method. Perturbation solutions are also obtained near the leading edge and in the downstream regime. The results are obtained in terms of the local skin friction coefficient and the rate of heat transfer for various values of the pertinent parameters, such as the Prandtl number, Pr, the velocity gradient parameter, m, the local suction parameter, ξ, and the viscosity variation parameter, ɛ. Perturbation solutions are compared with the finite difference solutions and are found to be in excellent agreement. The effect of ξ, m and ɛ on the dimensionless velocity profiles and viscosity distribution are also presented graphically for Pr = 0.7 and 7.0, which are the appropriate values for gases and water respectively. Received on 22 July 1999