Effect of Variable Viscosity on Natural Convection Flow Between Vertical Parallel Plates in the Presence of Heat Generation/Absorption

Abstract

The present article was aimed at investigating the effects of variable viscosity on natural convection flow between vertical parallel plates in the presence of heat generation/absorption. The nonlinear differential equations governing the flow were solved using Homotopy perturbation method. The impacts of the several governing parameters on the velocity and temperature profiles are presented graphically and values of skin friction, rate of heat transfer, mass flux and mean temperature for various values of physical parameters are presented through tables. In the course of computation, it was revealed that viscosity ontributes to decrease velocity and hence reduced resistance to flow. It was also discovered that as the heat generation increases, fluid temperature and velocity increase, while it decrease with the increase in heat absorption. Finally, it was concluded that the skin friction on both plates increase as viscosity increases.