Finite difference analysis of unsteady natural convection flow along an inclined plate with variable surface temperature and mass diffusion

An analysis is performed to study the transient laminar natural convection flows along an inclined semi-infinite flat plate in which the wall temperatureT _w ^′ and species concentration on the wallC _w ^′ vary as the power of the axial co-ordinate in the formT _w ^′ (x)=T _∞ ^′ +ax ⁿ andC _w ^′ =C _∞ ^′ +bx ^m respectively. The dimensionless governing equations considered here are unsteady, two-dimensional, coupled and non-linear integro-differential equations. A finite difference scheme of Crank-Nicolson type is employed to solve the problem. The velocity, temperature, concentration, skin friction, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are studied in detail for various sets of values of parameters. Correlation equations are also established for Nusselt number and Sherwood number in terms of parameters.     

Analytic study on non-Newtonian natural convection boundary layer flow with variable wall temperature on a horizontal plate

The similarity transform for the steady free convection boundary layer flow of a non-Newtonian fluid (Casson model) with variable wall temperature on a horizontal plate gives a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations which is solved analytically by applying a newly developed method namely the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The velocity and temperature profiles are obtained and the influence of Prandtl number and various physical parameters of the problem on these distributions are discussed in detail and are illustrated graphically through a set of graphs. The validity of our solutions is verified by the numerical results.     

Modeling natural convection boundary layer flow of micropolar nanofluid over vertical permeable cone with variable wall temperature

This paper discusses the natural convection boundary layer flow of a micropolar nanofluid over a vertical permeable cone with variable wall temperatures. Non-similar solutions are obtained. The nonlinearly coupled differential equations under the boundary layer approximations governing the flow are solved numerically using an efficient, iterative, tri-diagonal, implicit finite difference method. Different experimental correlations for both nanofluid effective viscosity and nanofluid thermal conductivity are considered.It is found that as the vortex-viscosity parameter increases, both the velocity profiles and the local Nusselt number decrease. Also, among all the nanoparticles considered in this investigation, Cu gives a good convection.     

Effect of variable viscosity on boundary layer flow along a continuously moving plate with variable surface temperature

Flow of an incompressible viscous fluid past a continuously moving semi-infinite plate is studied by taking into account variable viscosity and variable temperature. Velocity and temperature profiles are shown graphically whereas the numerical values of the skin-friction and the rate of heat transfer are listed in a table. The effect of different parameters on the flow field is discussed.     

Mixed convection boundary layer flow on a continuous flat plate with variable viscosity

The influences of variable viscosity and buoyancy force on laminar boundary layer flow and heat transfer due to a continuous flat plate are examined. The deviation of the velocity and temperature fields as well as of the skin friction and heat transfer results from their constant values are determined by means of similarity solutions.     

Mixed convection boundary layer flow over a horizontal plate with thermal radiation

The effects of thermal radiation and thermal buoyancy on the steady, laminar boundary layer flow over a horizontal plate is investigated. The plate temperature is assumed to be inversely proportional to the square root of the distance from the leading edge. The set of similarity equations is solved numerically, and the solutions are given for some values of the radiation and buoyancy parameters for Prandtl number unity. It is found that dual solutions exist for negative values of the buoyancy parameter, up to certain critical values. Beyond these values, the solution does no longer exist. Moreover, it is found that there is no local heat transfer at the surface except in the singular point at the leading edge. The radiation parameter is found to increase the local Stanton number.     

Transient flow rate behaviour in an external natural convection boundary layer

A theoretical approach is proposed to investigate the transient dynamic behaviour of a free convection boundary layer-type flow. The set of continuity, momentum and energy equations are solved with the classical Boussinesq approximation using the Karman–Pohlhausen integral method. Applying a step variation of the uniform heat flux on a vertical wall, the boundary layer thickness and velocity profiles within the viscous layer, streamline patterns and volumetric flow rate are evaluated as a function of time. In addition, corresponding fully analytical asymptotic solutions are derived to be readily used in engineering applications.     

Radiative mixed convection flow of an Oldroyd-B fluid over an inclined stretching surface

A mixed convection flow of an Oldroyd-B fluid in the presence of thermal radiation is investigated. The flow is induced by an inclined stretching surface. The boundary layer equations of the Oldroyd-B fluid in the presence of heat transfer are used. Appropriate transformations reduce partial differential equations to ordinary differential equations. A computational analysis is performed for convergent series solutions. The values of the local Nusselt number are numerically analyzed. The effects of various parameters on velocity and temperature are discussed.     

Thermal boundary layer and the characteristic length on natural convection over a horizontal plate

Thickness of the thermal boundary layer on natural convection from a horizontal plate was experimentally measured and expressed as a function of Rayleigh number both in laminar and turbulent regimes. Several parametric equations expressing the Nusselt number as a function of Rayleigh number were developed combining experimental data by other authors with the ones obtained in this work. The characteristic length was taken as the thickness of the thermal boundary layer in one equation and as the ratio of the area to the perimeter in another one. Both characteristic lengths correlated the data precisely in wide ranges of Rayleigh numbers.

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Boundary layer flow and heat transfer over an unsteady stretching vertical surface

The solution to the unsteady mixed convection boundary layer flow and heat transfer problem due to a stretching vertical surface is presented in this paper. The unsteadiness in the flow and temperature fields is caused by the time-dependent of the stretching velocity and the surface temperature. The governing partial differential equations with three independent variables are first transformed into ordinary differential equations, before they are solved numerically by a finite-difference scheme. The effects of the unsteadiness parameter, buoyancy parameter and Prandtl number on the flow and heat transfer characteristics are thoroughly examined. Both assisting and opposing buoyant flows are considered. It is observed that for assisting flow, the solutions exist for all values of buoyancy parameter, whereas for opposing flow, they exist only if the magnitude of the buoyancy parameter is small. Comparison with known results for steady-state flow is excellent.     

Steady mixed convection boundary layer flow over a vertical flat plate in a porous medium filled with water at 4°C: case of variable wall temperature

The problem of steady mixed convection boundary layer flow over a vertical impermeable flat plate in a porous medium saturated with water at 4°C (maximum density) when the temperature of the plate varies as x ^m and the velocity outside boundary layer varies as x ^{2 m} , where x measures the distance from the leading edge of the plate and m is a constant is studied. Both cases of the assisting and the opposing flows are considered. The plate is aligned parallel to a free stream velocity U _∞ oriented in the upward or downward direction, while the ambient temperature is T _∞ = T _m (temperature at maximum density). The mathematical models for this problem are formulated, analyzed and simplified, and further transformed into non-dimensional form using non-dimensional variables. Next, the system of governing partial differential equations is transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations using the similarity variables. The resulting system of ordinary differential equations is solved numerically using a finite-difference method known as the Keller-box scheme. Numerical results for the non-dimensional skin friction or shear stress, wall heat transfer, as well as the temperature profiles are obtained and discussed for different values of the mixed convection parameter λ and the power index m. All the numerical solutions are presented in the form of tables and figures. The results show that solutions are possible for large values of λ and m for the case of assisting flow. Dual solutions occurred for the case of opposing flow with limited admissible values of λ and m. In addition, separation of boundary layers occurred for opposing flow, and separation is delayed for the case of water at 4°C (maximum density) compared to water at normal temperature.     

Forced and mixed convection boundary layer flow along a flat plate with variable viscosity and variable Prandtl number: new results

The steady laminar boundary layer flow along a flat plate is studied taking into account the variation of fluid viscosity and fluid Prandtl number with temperature. In the forced convection case the plate moves with constant velocity and its temperature varies in power law with x. In the mixed convection case the plate temperature is constant and the fluid moves upwards due to an external free stream and due to buoyancy forces. The results are obtained with the direct numerical solution of the boundary layer equations. The study concerns the wall heat transfer, the wall shear stress and velocity and temperature profiles across the boundary layer. The results of the present work are different from those existing in the literature, which have been obtained with the assumption of constant Pr number.     

Variable permeability effect on buoyancy-induced inclined boundary layer flow in a saturated porous medium with variable wall temperature

The analysis is carried out for buoyancy-induced boundary layer flow adjacent to an inclined heated surface in a saturated porous medium incorporating the variation of permeability and thermal conductivity due to paking particles with non-uniform temperature. The surface temperature is assumed to vary as a power function of the axial coordinate measured from the leading edge of the surface. Both the streamwise and normal component of the buoyancy force are retained in the momentum equations. Numerical solutions are obtained in the cases of uniform and nonuniform permeability and various values of the inclination parameter ξ (x) = (Ra _x cos ϕ)^1/3 tan ϕ by using finite difference method. The problem is solved using nonsimilarity solutions for the case of variable wall temperature. Results for the details of the velocity and temperature fields as well as local Nusselt number have been presented.     

Free convection on an arbitrarily inclined plate with uniform surface heat flux

This paper proposed a proper inclination parameter and transformation variables for the analysis of free convection from an inclined plate with uniform surface heat flux to fluids of any Prandtl number. Very accurate numerical results and a simple correlation equation are obtained for arbitrary inclination from the horizontal to the vertical and for 0.001 Pr. Maximum deviation between the correlated and calculated data is less than 1.2%.

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Freie Konvektion an einer beliebig geneigten Platte mit erheblicher Wärmestromdichte an der Oberfläche

Zusammenfassung Für die Berechnung von freier Konvektion von Fluiden mit beliebiger Prandtl-Zahl an einer geneigten Platte mit einheitlicher Wärmestromdichte an der Oberfläche werden ein zweckmäßiger Neigungsparameter und Transformationsvariablen eingeführt. Sehr genaue numerische Ergebnisse und eine einfache Korrelationsgleichung wurden für beliebige Neigungen zwischen der Horizontalen und der Vertikalen und für 0.001Pr erhalten. Die größte Abweichung zwischen Korrelations- und berechneten Daten liegt bei weniger als 1.2%.

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Nomenclature f reduced stream function - g gravitational acceleration - h local heat transfer coefficient - k thermal conductivity - Nu local Nusselt number - p static pressure difference - Pr Prandtl number - q _w wall heat flux - Ra* modified local Rayleigh number,g(q _w x/k)x ³/ - T fluid temperature - T temperature of ambient fluid - u velocity component inx-direction - v velocity component iny-direction - x coordinate parallel to the plate - y coordinate normal to the plate Greek symbols thermal diffusivity - thermal expansion coefficient - (Ra* |sin|)^1/5/( Ra* cos)^1/6 - ( Ra* cos)^1/6+( Ra*|sin|)^1/5 - (y/x) - dimensionless temperature, (T–T )/(q _w x/k) - kinematic viscosity - [1+( Ra* cos)^1/6/( Ra*|sin|)^1/5]^–1 - density of fluid - Pr/(1+Pr) - _w wall shear stress - angle of inclination measured from the horizontal - stream function - dimensionless static pressure difference, p x ²/ ⁴     

MHD forced convection boundary layer flow with a flat plate and porous substrate

The flow and heat transfer for an electrically conducting fluid with a porous substrate and a flat plate under the influence of magnetic field is considered. The magnetic field is assumed to be uniform and also along normal to the surface. The momentum and energy equations are transformed to ordinary differential equations by using suitable similarity transformation and are solved by standard techniques. But the energy equation is solved by considering two boundary layers, one in the porous substrate and the other above the porous substrate. Numerical results are presented through graphs with various values of magnetic parameter for both velocity and thermal boundary layers along with Nusselt number and for various values of Prandtl number and Eckert number in thermal boundary layer.