Mixed convection on a vertical circular cylinder

The problem of the mixed convection boundary-layer flow past an isothermal vertical circular cylinder is considered in both the cases when the buoyancy forces aid and oppose the development of the boundary layer. A series solution is obtained, valid near the leading edge, and this is extended by a numerical solution of the full equations, which in the aiding case, becomes inaccurate downstream. An approximate solution is also derived which gives a good estimate for the heat transfer near the leading edge and has the correct asymptotic form well downstream. In the opposing case, the boundary layer is seen to separate at a finite distance downstream, with, for moderate values of the buoyancy parameter, the numerical solution indicating a regular behaviour near separation.