Stagnation-point flow of a viscoelastic fluid towards a stretching surface

An analysis is made of the steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow of an incompressible viscoelastic fluid over a flat deformable surface when the surface is stretched in its own plane with a velocity proportional to the distance from the stagnation-point. It is shown that for a viscoelastic fluid of short memory (obeying Walters’ B′ model), a boundary layer is formed when the stretching velocity of the surface is less than the inviscid free-stream velocity and velocity at a point increases with increase in the elasticity of the fluid. On the other hand, an inverted boundary layer is formed when the surface stretching velocity exceeds the velocity of the free stream and the velocity decreases with increase in the elasticity of the fluid. A novel result of the analysis is that the flow near the stretching surface is that corresponding to an inviscid stagnation-point flow when the surface stretching velocity is equal to the velocity of the free stream. Temperature distribution in the boundary layer is found when the surface is held at constant temperature and surface heat flux is determined. It is found that temperature at a point decreases with increase in the elasticity of the fluid.     

Heat transfer in oblique stagnation-point flow of an incompressible viscous fluid towards a stretching surface

Steady two-dimensional oblique stagnation-point flow of an incompressible viscous fluid over a flat deformable sheet is investigated when the sheet is stretched in its own plane with a velocity proportional to the distance from the stagnation-point. It is shown that the flow has a boundary layer structure for values of a/c (> 1), where ax+2by and cx are the x-component of the free stream velocity and the stretching velocity of the plate respectively, x being the distance from the stagnation-point. On the other hand when a/c < 1, the flow has an inverted boundary layer structure. It is also observed that the velocity at a point increases with increase in the free stream shear. For a fixed value of a/c, the streamlines becomes more and more oblique towards the left of the stagnation-point with increase in b/c where b > 0. On the other hand the streamlines become increasingly oblique to the right of the stagnation-point with increase in |b/c| when b < 0. For a fixed value of the Prandtl number Pr, temperature at a point decreases with increase in a/c. Further for a given value of a/c, the surface heat flux increases with increase in Pr.     

Momentum and heat transfer in the magnetohydrodynamic stagnation-point flow of a viscoelastic fluid toward a stretching surface

An analysis is made of the steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow of an incompressible viscoelastic fluid over a flat deformable surface when the surface is stretched in its own plane with a velocity proportional to the distance from the stagnation-point. It is shown that for a viscoelastic conducting fluid of short memory (obeying Walters’ Bʹ model), a boundary layer is formed when the stretching velocity of the surface is less than the inviscid free-stream velocity and velocity at a point increases with increase in the Hartmann number. On the other hand an inverted boundary layer is formed when the surface stretching velocity exceeds the velocity of the free stream and the velocity decreases with increase in the Hartmann number. A novel result of the analysis is that the flow near the stretching surface is that corresponding to an inviscid stagnation-point flow when the surface stretching velocity is equal to the velocity of the free stream. Temperature distribution in the boundary layer is found when the surface is held at constant temperature and surface heat flux is determined. It is found that in the absence of viscous and Ohmic dissipation and strain energy in the flow, temperature at a point decreases with increase in the Hartmann number.     

Heat transfer in stagnation-point flow towards a stretching sheet

 Steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow of an incompressible viscous fluid over a flat deformable sheet is investigated when the sheet is stretched in its own plane with a velocity proportional to the distance from the stagnation-point. It is shown that for a fluid of small kinematic viscosity, a boundary layer is formed when the stretching velocity is less than the free stream velocity and an inverted boundary layer is formed when the stretching velocity exceeds the free stream velocity. Temperature distribution in the boundary layer is found when the surface is held at constant temperature and surface heat flux is determined. Received on 12 July 2000 / Published online: 29 November 2001     

Analytical solution to stagnation-point flow and heat transfer over a stretching sheet based on homotopy analysis

This paper is concerned with two-dimensional stagnation-point steady flow of an incompressible viscous fluid towards a stretching sheet whose velocity is proportional to the distance from the slit. The governing system of partial differential equations is first transformed into a system of dimensionless ordinary differential equations. Analytical solutions of the velocity distribution and dimensionless temperature profiles are obtained for different ratios of free stream velocity and stretching velocity, Prandtl number, Eckert number and dimensionality index in series forms using homotopy analysis method（HAM）. It is shown that a boundary layer is formed when the free stream velocity exceeds the stretching velocity, and an inverted boundary layer is formed when the free stream velocity is less than the stretching velocity. Graphs are presented to show the effects of different parameters.     

On stagnation point flow of Sisko fluid over a stretching sheet

The steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow, represented by Sisko fluid constitutive model, over a stretching sheet is investigated theoretically. Using suitable similarity transformations, the governing boundary-layer equations are transformed into the self-similar non-linear ordinary differential equation. The transformed equation is then solved using a very efficient analytic technique namely the homotopy analysis method (HAM) and the HAM solutions are validated by the exact analytic solutions obtain in certain special cases. The influence of the power-law index (n), the material parameter (A) and the velocity ratio parameter (d/c) on the flow characteristics is studied and presented through several graphs. In addition, the local skin friction coefficient for several values of these parameters is tabulated and examined. The similarity solutions for both the Newtonian and the power-law fluids are presented as special cases of the analysis. The results obtained reveal that, in comparison with the Newtonian and the power-law fluids, the velocity profiles of the Sisko fluid are much faster (slower), for d/c<1 (d/c>1), respectively.     

The influence of thermal radiation on MHD station-point flow past a stretching sheet with heat generation

This letter is concerned with the plane and axisymmetric stagnation-point flows and heat transfer of an electrically-conducting fluid past a stretching sheet in the presence of the thermal radiation and heat generation or absorption. The analytical solutions for the velocity distribution and dimensionless temperature profiles are obtained for the various values of the ratio of free stream velocity and stretching velocity, heat source parameter, Prandtl number, thermal radiation parameter, the suction and injection velocity parameter and magnetic parameter and dimensionality index in the series form with the help of homotopy analysis method (HAM). Convergence of the series is explicitly discussed. In addition, shear stress and heat flux at the surface are calculated.     

Oblique stagnation-point flow of an incompressible visco-elastic fluid towards a stretching surface

An analysis is made of the steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow of an incompressible viscoelastic fluid over a flat deformable surface when the surface is stretched in its own plane with a velocity cx, where x is the distance from the stagnation-point and c is a positive constant. It is shown that for a viscoelastic fluid of short memory (obeying Walters’ B model), a boundary layer is formed when the stretching velocity of the surface is less than ax, where ax+2by is the inviscid free-stream velocity and y is the distance normal to the plate, a and b being constants and the velocity at a point increases with increase in the elasticity of the fluid. On the other hand an inverted boundary layer is formed when the surface stretching velocity exceeds ax and the velocity decreases with increase in the elasticity of the fluid. A novel result of the analysis is that the flow near the stretching surface is that corresponding to an inviscid stagnation-point flow when a=c. Temperature distribution in the boundary layer is found in three cases, namely: (i) the sheet with constant surface temperature (CST); (ii) the sheet with variable surface temperature (VST) and (iii) the sheet with prescribed quadratic power law surface heat flux (PHF) for various values of non-dimensional parameters. It is found that in all the three cases when a/c>1, temperature at a point decreases with increase in the elasticity of the fluid and when a/c<1, temperature at a point increases with increase in the elasticity of the fluid. Further temperature at a point decreases with increase in the radiation parameter and wall temperature parameter.     

Effects of thermal radiation and variable fluid viscosity on stagnation point flow past a porous stretching sheet

Similarity analysis is performed to investigate the structure of the boundary layer stagnation-point flow and heat transfer over a stretching sheet subject to suction. Fluid viscosity is assumed to vary as a linear function of temperature. Thermal radiation term is considered in the energy equation. The symmetry groups admitted by the corresponding boundary value problem are obtained by using a special form of Lie group transformations viz. scaling group of transformations. With the help of them the partial differential equations corresponding to momentum and energy equations are transformed into highly non-linear ordinary differential equations. Numerical solutions of these equations are obtained by shooting method. It is found that the horizontal velocity increases with the increasing values of the ratio of the free stream velocity to the stretching velocity. Velocity increases with the increasing temperature dependent fluid viscosity parameter when the free-stream velocity is less than the stretching velocity but opposite behavior is noted when the free-stream velocity is greater than the stretching velocity. Due to suction, fluid velocity decreases at a particular point of the surface. Temperature at a point of the surface is found to decrease with increasing thermal radiation.     

Mixed convection stagnation-point flow on vertical stretching sheet with external magnetic field

The problem of steady laminar magnetohydrodynamic （MHD） mixed con- vection stagnation-point flow of an incompressible viscous fluid over a vertical stretch- ing sheet is studied. The effect of an externally magnetic field is taken into account. The transformed boundary layer equations are solved numerically by using an implicit finite-difference scheme. Numerical results are obtained for various values of the mixed convection parameter, Hartmann number, and Prandtl number. The effects of an exter- nally magnetic field on the skin friction coefficient, local Nusselt number, velocity, and temperature profiles for both A 〉 1 and A ~ 1, where A is the velocity ratio parameter, are presented graphically and discussed in detail. Both assisting and opposing flows are considered, and it is found that dual solutions exist for the opposing flow.     

Slip effects on unsteady stagnation-point flow and heat transfer over a shrinking sheet

This paper investigates the unsteady boundary layer stagnation-point flow and heat transfer over a linearly shrinking sheet in the presence of velocity and thermal slips. Similarity solutions for the transformed governing equations are obtained and the reduced equations are then solved numerically using fourth order Runge-Kutta method with shooting technique. The numerical results show that multiple solutions exist for certain range of the ratio of shrinking velocity to the free stream velocity (i.e., α) which again depend on the unsteadiness parameter β and the velocity slip parameter (i.e., δ). An enhancement of the velocity slip parameter δ causes more increment in the existence range of similarity solution. Fluid velocity at a point increases increases with the increase in the value of the velocity slip parameter δ, resulting in a decrease in the temperature field. The effects of the velocity and thermal slip parameters, unsteadiness parameter (β) and the velocity ratio parameter (α) on the velocity and temperature distributions are computed, analyzed and discussed. The reported results are in good agreement with the available published results in the literature.     

Steady Flow of a Navier-Stokes Fluid Around a Rotating Obstacle

Let ? be a body immersed in a Navier-Stokes liquid ? that fills the whole space. Assume that ? rotates with prescribed constant angular velocity ω. We show that if the magnitude of ω is not “too large”, there exists one and only one corresponding steady motion of ? such that the velocity field v(x) and its gradient grad?v(x) decay like |x|^?1 and |x|^?2, respectively. Moreover, the pressure field p(x) and its gradient grad?p(x) decay like |x|^?2 and |x|^?3, respectively. These solutions are “physically reasonable” in the sense of Finn. In particular, they are unique and satisfy the energy equation. This result is relevant to several applications, including sedimentation of heavy particles in a viscous liquid.     

Scaling Transformations for Boundary Layer Flow near the Stagnation-Point on a Heated Permeable Stretching Surface in a Porous Medium Saturated with a Nanofluid and Heat Generation/Absorption Effects

In this article, a similarity solution of the steady boundary layer flow near the stagnation-point flow on a permeable stretching sheet in a porous medium saturated with a nanofluid and in the presence of internal heat generation/absorption is theoretically studied. The governing partial differential equations with the corresponding boundary conditions are reduced to a set of ordinary differential equations with the appropriate boundary conditions via Lie-group analysis. Copper (Cu) with water as its base fluid has been considered and representative results have been obtained for the nanoparticle volume fraction parameter f{\phi} in the range 0 ￡ f ￡ 0.2{0\leq \phi \leq 0.2} with the Prandtl number of Pr = 6.8 for the water working fluid. Velocity and temperature profiles as well as the skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number are determined numerically. The influence of pertinent parameters such as nanofluid volume fraction parameter, the ratio of free stream velocity and stretching velocity parameter, the permeability parameter, suction/blowing parameter, and heat source/sink parameter on the flow and heat transfer characteristics is discussed. Comparisons with published results are also presented. It is shown that the inclusion of a nanoparticle into the base fluid of this problem is capable to change the flow pattern.     

Biorthogonal stretching and shearing of an impermeable surface in a uniformly rotating fluid system

The flow induced by an impermeable flat surface executing orthogonal stretching and orthogonal shearing in a rotating fluid system is investigated. Both the stretching and shearing are linear in the coordinates. An exact similarity reduction of the Navier–Stokes equations gives rise to a pair of nonlinearly-coupled ordinary differential equations governed by three parameters. In this study we set one parameter and analyze the problem which leads to flow for an impermeable surface with shearing and stretching due to velocity u along the x-axis of equal strength a while the shearing and stretching due to velocity v along the y-axis of equal strength b. These solutions depend on two parameters—a Coriolis (rotation) parameter \(\sigma = \Omega /a\) and a stretching/shearing ratio \(\lambda =b/a\). A symmetry in solutions is found for \(\lambda = 1\). The exact solution for \(\sigma = 0\) and the asymptotic behavior of solutions for \(|\sigma | \rightarrow \infty\) are determined and compared with numerical results. Oscillatory solutions are found whose strength increases with increasing values of \(|\sigma |\). It is shown that these solutions tend to the well-known Ekman solution as \(|\sigma | \rightarrow \infty\).     

Stability of dual solutions in stagnation-point flow and heat transfer over a porous shrinking sheet with thermal radiation

An analysis is carried out to study the steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow and heat transfer of an incompressible viscous fluid over a porous shrinking sheet in the presence of thermal radiation. A set of similarity transformations reduce the boundary layer equations to a set of non-linear ordinary differential equations which are solved numerically using fourth order Runge-Kutta method with shooting technique. The analysis of the result obtained shows that as the porosity parameter β increases, the range of region of existence of similarity solution increases. It is also observed that multiple solutions exist for a certain range of the ratio of the shrinking velocity to the free stream velocity (i.e., α) which again depends on β. We then discuss the stability of the unsteady solutions about each steady solution, showing that one steady state solution corresponds to a stable solution whereas the other corresponds to an unstable solution. The stable solution corresponds to the physically relevant solution. Further we obtain numerical results for each solution, which enable us to discuss the features of the respective solutions.     

Unsteady gravity-driven slender rivulets of a power-law fluid

Unsteady gravity-driven flow of a thin slender rivulet of a non-Newtonian power-law fluid on a plane inclined at an angle α to the horizontal is considered. Unsteady similarity solutions are obtained for both converging sessile rivulets (when 0 < α < π/2) in the case x < 0 with t < 0, and diverging pendent rivulets (when π/2 < α < π) in the case x > 0 with t > 0, where x denotes a coordinate measured down the plane and t denotes time. Numerical and asymptotic methods are used to show that for each value of the power-law index N there are two physically realisable solutions, with cross-sectional profiles that are ‘single-humped’ and ‘double-humped’, respectively. Each solution predicts that at any time t the rivulet widens or narrows according to |x | ^{(2N+1)/2(N+1)} and thickens or thins according to |x | ^N/(N+1) as it flows down the plane; moreover, at any station x, it widens or narrows according to |t | ^?N/2(N+1) and thickens or thins according to |t | ^?N/(N+1). The length of a truncated rivulet of fixed volume is found to behave according to |t | ^N/(2N+1).     

On Formation of a Locally Self-Similar Collapse in the Incompressible Euler Equations

The paper addresses the question of the existence of a locally self-similar blow-up for the incompressible Euler equations. Several exclusion results are proved based on the L ^p -condition for velocity or vorticity and for a range of scaling exponents. In particular, in N dimensions if in self-similar variables ${u \in L^p}$ and ${u \sim \frac{1}{t^{\alpha/(1+\alpha)}}}$ , then the blow-up does not occur, provided ${\alpha > N/2}$ or ${-1 < \alpha \leq N\,/p}$ . This includes the L ³ case natural for the Navier–Stokes equations. For ${\alpha = N\,/2}$ we exclude profiles with asymptotic power bounds of the form ${ |y|^{-N-1+\delta} \lesssim |u(y)| \lesssim |y|^{1-\delta}}$ . Solutions homogeneous near infinity are eliminated, as well, except when homogeneity is scaling invariant.     

Flow of power-law fluids over a moving wedge surface with wall mass injection

The boundary layer problem of a power-law fluid flow with fluid injection on a wedge whose surface is moving with a constant velocity in the opposite direction to that of the uniform mainstream is analyzed. The free stream velocity, the injection velocity at the surface, moving velocity of the wedge surface, the wedge angle and the power law index of non-Newtonian fluid are assumed variables. The fourth order Runge–Kutta method modified by Gill is used to solve the non-dimensional boundary layer equations for non-Newtonian flow field. Without fluid injection, for every angle of wedge β, a limiting value for velocity ratio λ _cr (velocity of the wedge surface/velocity of the uniform flow) is found for each power-law index n. The value of λ _cr increases with the increasing wedge angle β. The value of wedge angle also restricts the physical characteristics of the fluid to be used. The effects of the different parameters on velocity profile and on skin friction are studied and the drag reduction is discussed. In case of C = 2.5 and velocity ratio λ = 0.2 for wedge angle β = 0.5 with the fluid with power law-index n = 0.5, 48.8% drag reduction is obtained.     

The free jets as boundary-layer flows induced by continuous stretching surfaces

This paper proves that the free laminar jets of the classical hydrodynamics may be identified with certain boundary-layer flows induced by continuous surfaces immersed in quiescent incompressible fluids and stretched with well-defined velocities. In this sense: (i) Schlichting's round jet of momentum flow coincides with the axisymmetric flow induced by a thin continuous wire issuing from a small orifice at x=0 and stretching along the x-axis with velocity U _w(x) = 3J˙/(8πρνx), and (ii) the Schlichting–Bickley plane jet of momentum flow J˙ coincides with the boundary-layer flow induced by an impermeable plane wall issuing from a long slit (of length l) and stretching with velocity U _w(x)= [{3J˙ ²/(32νρ² l ² x)}]^1/3.     

Dual solutions of Casson fluid flows over a power-law stretching sheet

A steady boundary layer flow of a non-Newtonian Casson fluid over a power-law stretching sheet is investigated. A self-similar form of the governing equation is obtained, and numerical solutions are found for various values of the governing parameters. The solutions depend on the fluid material parameter. Dual solutions are obtained for some particular range of these parameters. The fluid velocity is found to decrease as the power-law stretching parameter β in the rheological Casson equation increases. At large values of β, the skin friction coefficient and the velocity profile across the boundary layer for the Casson fluid tend to those for the Newtonian fluid.