Unsteady free convection flow past a periodically accelerated vertical plate with Newtonian heating
International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow
ISSN: 0961-5539
Article publication date: 5 September 2016
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an analytical study for a problem of unsteady free convection boundary layer flow past a periodically accelerated vertical plate with Newtonian heating (NH).
Design/methodology/approach
The equations governing the flow are studied in the closed form by using the Laplace transform technique. The effects of various physical parameters are studied through graphs and the expressions for skin friction, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are also derived and discussed numerically.
Findings
It is observed that velocity, concentration and skin friction decrease with the increasing values of Sc whereas temperature distribution decreases in the increase in Pr in the presence of NH.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to a Newtonian fluid. This can be extended for non-Newtonian fluids.
Practical implications
Heat and mass transfer frequently occurs in chemically processed industries, distribution of temperature and moisture over agricultural fields, dispersion of fog and environment pollution and polymer production.
Social implications
Free convection flow of coupled heat and mass transfer occurs due to the temperature and concentration differences in the fluid as a result of driving forces. For example, in atmospheric flows, thermal convection resulting from heating of the earth by sunlight is affected differences in water vapor concentration.
Originality/value
The authors have studied heat and mass transfer effects on unsteady free convection boundary layer flow past a periodically accelerated vertical surface with NH, where the heat transfer rate from the bounding surface with a finite heat capacity is proportional to the local surface temperature, and which is usually termed as conjugate convective flow. The equations governing the flow are studied in the closed form by using the Laplace transform technique. The effects of various physical parameters are studied through graphs and the expression for skin friction also derived and discussed.
Keywords
Citation
Raju, M.C., Varma, S.V.K. and Chamkha, A.J. (2016), "Unsteady free convection flow past a periodically accelerated vertical plate with Newtonian heating", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 26 No. 7, pp. 2119-2138. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-05-2014-0123
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited