EFFECTS OF THERMO–PHYSICAL PROPERTIES ON FREE CONVECTIVE HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER FLOW OVER A VERTICAL PLATE

Abstract

This study examined the problem of some thermo-physical properties on free convective heat and mass transfer flow over a vertical plate. The resulting governing partial differential equations were transformed to nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations with the help of similarity variables. There are two major aspect of this study namely: (i) the steady flow with reaction, viscous dissipation and variable thermal conductivity and (ii) steady flow with heat generation, thermal radiation, mass transfer and variable thermal conductivity. Six special cases were discussed in this study and the qualitative properties of the models were also examined. It was established that the models have unique solutions and the solutions are stable. The major governing parameters of the problem are Prandtl number 𝑃𝑟, local Grashof number 𝐺𝑟, local mass Grashof number 𝐺𝑚, heat source parameter 𝑄, thermal radiation parameter 𝑁, local magnetic field parameter 𝑀, Eckert number 𝐸𝑐, variable thermal conductivity parameter 𝛾, modified Frank-Kamenetskii parameter 𝛿 and activation energy parameter 𝜀. The nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations obtained were solved numerically using shooting method along with fourth order Runge-Kutta. The skin friction coefficient 𝐶𝑓 increases with increasing values of 𝐺𝑟, 𝛾, 𝛿, 𝐸𝑐, 𝑁 and 𝑄 while, the rate of heat transfer in terms of Nusselt number 𝑁𝑢 decreases as 𝑃𝑟, 𝐺𝑟, 𝜀 and 𝐺𝑚 decreases. Similarly, mass transfer rate in terms of Sherwood number 𝑆ℎ increases as 𝑃𝑟, 𝑀 and 𝑆𝑐 increases in values but decreases with increasing values of 𝛾, 𝑁, 𝑄, 𝐺𝑚 and 𝐺𝑟.