Combined free and forced convection magnetohydrodynamic flow through two parallel porous walls

Abstract

The investigation of natural convection effects in forced horizontal flows is of great physical interest. This is the case in nuclear-reactor applications, particularly when dealing with after shut down eooling prohlems. SPARaow et al. [1] has shown that in case of horizontal flows of low Prandtl numbcr fluids, the bouyancy forces cannot be neglected as they significantly affect the flow field. GILL and CASAL [2] also proved that the effects of the buoyancy forces ate highly important in case of the hoi flows of low Prandtl number fluids. All low Prandtl number fluids are electrically conducting and hence their flow is affected by transversely applied magnetic field. This property has been utilised profitably in magnetohydrodynamic channel flows. But all at tempts to analyse the mhd flows were without considering the buoyancy forces. This led GUrTA [3] to investigate the effect of buoyancy forces on a forced convection flow through a horizontal channel with nonconducting walls. Recently JArr [4] extended the GUrTX'S problem by considei horizontal conducting walls. The present paper is concerned with the s tudy of forced flow of electrically conducting fluid between two parallel porous non-conducting walts, one of which is at test and the other moving parallel to itself, with a linear axial temperature variation including buoyancy forces. The flow takes place in the presente of uniform vertical magnetie field.