A rational approximation to the boundary layer flow of a non-Newtonian fluid

Abstract

This paper presents a computational technique for the investigation of boundary layer flow over a stretching sheet for a Powell–Eyring non-Newtonian fluid. The quasilinearization method finds a recursive formula for higher-order deformation equations which are then solved using the rational Boubaker collocation method so-called the QLM-RBC method. The solution for velocity is computed by applying the QLM-RBC method. The governing nonlinear partial differential equations are reduced to the nonlinear ordinary differential equations by similarity transformations. The momentum equation with infinite boundary values using the quasilinearization method converts to the sequence of linear ordinary differential equations to obtain the solution. In addition, the equation is solved on a semi-infinite domain without truncating it to a finite domain by choosing rational bases for the collocation method. Illustrative figures are included to demonstrate the physical influence of different parameters on the velocity profile. The method is easy to implement and yields accurate results.