Abstract

STEADY NATURAL CONVECTION MHD FLOW IN A VERTICAL CHANNEL WITH INDUCED MAGNETIC FIELD AND VARIABLE FLUID PROPERTIES

Abiodun O. Ajibade1 and Shehu A. Bolaji2

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In this paper, we discussed the results of the variability of viscosity and thermal conductivity on a magneto-hydrodynamic natural convection steady two dimensional flow of a viscous and electrically conducting fluid which has constant density. The boundary layer equations which govern the flow together with the boundary conditions are transformed into non-dimensional forms by suitable non-dimensional parameters to obtain a set of simultaneous ordinary differential equations which are nonlinear. The numerical solutions for the velocity, temperature and the magnetic field profiles are determined using a semi analytic numerical method called the differential transform method (DTM). The various physical parameters which are involved in the flow are tested on each of the profiles and the results are shown in graphs and tables. It is observed among others that as the viscosity parameter increases and the thermal conductivity parameters decreases, the fluid velocity reduces at the boundary layer. The induced magnetic field is enhanced with reduced viscosity away from the boundary layer. It is further observed that the temperature of the fluid vary in the same direction as the thermal conductivity. Keywords: Natural convection; induced magnetic field; variable viscosity; variable thermal conductivity; induced current density; skin friction; Nusselt number; differential transform method (DTM).

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