EFFECTS OF TRANSVERSE MAGNETIC FIELD, PRANDTL NUMBER AND REYNOLDS NUMBER ON NON-DARCY MIXED CONVECTIVE FLOW OF AN INCOMPRESSIBLE VISCOUS FLUID PAST A POROUS VERTICAL FLAT PLATE IN A SATURATED POROUS MEDIUM

✍ Scribed by H. S. Takhar; O. A. Beg

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 315 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0363-907X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-114x(199701)21:1<87::aid-er259>3.0.co;2-7

✦ Synopsis

The effect of transverse magnetic field parameter (Hartmann number, Ha), Reynolds number (Re) and Prandtl number (Pr) on the mixed convection flow past a semi-infinite vertical porous plate in a non-Darcian porous medium with variable viscosity and porosity, viscous dissipation and fluid-solid thermal conductivity ratio in the presence of plate transpiration (lateral mass flux) is investigated theoretically and numerically using Keller's implicit finite difference scheme. It is shown that the Hartmann number acts as a retarding force and increases the momentum boundary layer thickness, analogous to the flow against a positive pressure gradient, simultaneously decreasing local skin friction (shear stress). The heat transfer rate is however enhanced by the magnetic field (for positive values of the Eckert number) since the fluid is heated and temperature gradients become reduced between the fluid and the plate, with important potential applications in MHD power generators, materials processing and geothermal systems containing electrically-conducting fluids. The effects of high velocity flow (larger Re) and different Prandtl numbers corresponding to different industrial and geophysical fluids on heat transfer are also discussed.