MHD nanofluid flow through a deformable asymmetric porous channel

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this manuscript is to study the flow of a nanofluid through a porous channel under the influence of a transverse magnetic field. Permeability of the walls is considered to be different, which results in an asymmetric nature of the flow. The height of the channel is variable, and it dilates or squeezes at a uniform rate.

Design/methodology/approach

A numerical solution (Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg) has been obtained after reducing the governing equations to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations using some suitable similarity transforms, both in time and space.

Findings

An increase in absolute values of the permeability parameter results in an enhanced mass transfer rate at both the walls, while the rate of heat transfer also increases at the lower wall. Few graphs are also dedicated to see the behavior of Nusselt and Sherwood numbers following the variations in flow parameters.

Originality/value

A pictorial description of the flow and effects of emerging parameters on the temperature and nanoparticle concentration profiles is presented to analyze the flow behavior. It is established that the asymmetry of the channel affects the flow quite significantly.

Citation

Ahmed, N., Khan, U. and Mohyud-din, S.T. (2017), "MHD nanofluid flow through a deformable asymmetric porous channel", Engineering Computations, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 852-868. https://doi.org/10.1108/EC-05-2016-0169