Dissipation effects on MHD free convection flow past a semi-infinite vertical plate

Viscous and Joule dissipation effects are considered on MHD free convection flow past a semi-infinite isothermal vertical plate under a uniform transverse magnetic field. Series solutions in powers of a dissipation number (=gx/c _p) have been employed and the resulting ordinary differential equations have been solved numerically. The velocity and temperature profiles are shown on graphs and the numerical values of ₁(0)/₀(0) (, temperature function) have been tabulated. It is observed that the dissipation effects in the MHD case become more dominant with increasing values of the magnetic field parameter (=M ²/(Gr _x /4)^1/2) and the Prandtl number.