Effects of Radiation and Variable Fluid Viscosity on Flow and Heat Transfer along a Symmetric Wedge

Radiation effects on boundary layer flow and heat transfer of a fluid with variable viscosity along a symmetric wedge is presented here. Fluid viscosity is assumed to vary as a linear function of temperature. The symmetry groups admitted by the corresponding boundary value problem are obtained by using a special form of Lie group transformations viz. scaling group of transformations. A third order and a second order coupled ordinary differential equation system corresponding to the momentum and the energy equations are obtained. These equations are then solved numerically. With the increase of temperature-dependent fluid viscosity parameter (i.e. with decreasing viscosity), the fluid velocity increases up to the cross-over point (η =η۰ ) (η۰ ≈ ۰.۹۰ is the nearest numerical value of the cross-over point) and after the crossing over point the fluid velocity is found to decrease but the temperature increases at a particular point. The significant finding of this study is that, due to variable fluid viscosity, flow separation is controlled. The temperature decreases with increasing value of radiation parameter and Prandtl number.

کلیدواژه ها:

Scaling group of transformations ، wedge flow ، radiation effect ، temperature dependent fluid viscosity