Combined effects of variable density and thermal radiation on MHD Sakiadis flow

Abstract

The current research study focuses on the modelling for heat transfer and fluid flow over an inclined moving surface (Sakiadis flow) under the impact of variable density, thermal radiation, and magnetic field effects. A resulting model is reduced to a coupled non-linear system of ordinary differential equations by using an appropriate similarity transformation. The governing equations of the problem are solved numerically with the help of MATLAB built-in numerical solver bvp4c. The computed numerical results for the material properties such as velocity distribution and temperature profile at angle α=π/6 radian are represented in graphical forms. The skin friction and the rate of heat transfer are tabulated. The principal results show that increasing values of density variation parameter give rise to velocity profile and reduction in temperature profile is noted. An increase in magnetic field and radiation parameter causes the reduction in velocity distribution but augmentation in temperature profile, hence, that behavior endorses the physical reasoning of the phenomenon. A comparison with previously published results on special case of the problem shows excellent agreement.

Keywords

• Sakiadis flow
• Variable density
• Inclined plate
• MHD
• Thermal radiation