On free convection and heat transfer in a micropolar fluid flow past a moving semi-infinite plate.

Abstract

In this dissertation we investigate free convective heat and mass transfer in micropolar fluid flow past a moving semi-infinite vertical porous plate in the presence of a magnetic field. The aim of this study was to use recent semi-numerical methods such as the successive linearisation method and the spectral-homotopy analysis method to study the effects of viscous heating and the effects of different fluid parameters. The governing boundary layer equations for linear momentum, angular momentum (microrotation), temperature and concentration profiles are transformed to a system of ordinary differential equations and solved using the successive linearisation method and the spectral-homotopy analysis method. The accuracy of the solutions was determined by comparison with numerical approximations obtained using the Matlab bvp4c solver. The influences of the micropolar parameter, Darcy number, Prandtl number, Schmidt number, magnetic parameter, heat absorption parameter, Soret and Dufour numbers, local Reynolds number and Grashof number on velocity, microrotation, temperature and concentration profiles were determined. The results obtained are presented graphically and in tabular form.