Symmetry group and numerical study of non-Newtonian nanofluid transport in a porous medium with multiple convective boundary and nonlinear radiation
International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow
ISSN: 0961-5539
Article publication date: 6 June 2016
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study two-dimensional nonlinear radiative-convective, steady-state boundary layer flow of non-Newtonian power-law nanofluids along a flat vertical plate in a saturated porous medium taking into account thermal and mass convective boundary conditions numerically.
Design/methodology/approach
The governing equations are reduced to a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations with relevant boundary conditions. The transformed equations are then solved using the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg fourth-fifth order numerical method with Maple 17 and Adomian decomposition method (ADM) in Mathematica.
Findings
The transformed equations are controlled by the parameter: power-law exponent, n; temperature ratio, Tr; Rosseland radiation-conduction, R; conduction-convection, Nc; and diffusion-convection, Nd. Temperature and nanoparticle concentration is enhanced with convection-diffusion parameter as are temperatures. Velocities are depressed with greater power-law rheological index whereas temperatures are elevated. Increasing thermal radiation flux accelerate the flow but to strongly heat the boundary layer. Very good correlation of the Maple solutions with previous stationary free stream and ADM solutions for a moving free stream, are obtained.
Practical implications
The study is relevant to high temperature nano-polymer manufacturing systems.
Originality/value
Lie symmetry group is used for the first time to transform the governing equations into a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations with relevant boundary conditions. The study is relevant to high temperature nano-polymer manufacturing systems.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge financial support from Universiti Sains Malaysia, RU Grant No. 1001/PMATHS/811252. The authors also wish to express their gratitude to the reviewer for his/her comments which have helped to improve the paper.
Citation
Uddin, M.J., Bég, O.A. and Ismail, I.M. (2016), "Symmetry group and numerical study of non-Newtonian nanofluid transport in a porous medium with multiple convective boundary and nonlinear radiation", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 26 No. 5, pp. 1526-1547. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-03-2015-0123
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited