Melting and radiation effects on mixed convection from a vertical surface embedded in a non-Newtonian fluid saturated non-Darcy porous medium for aiding and opposing eternal flows

Abstract

Continuum equations governing mixed convection from a vertical surface embedded in a non-Darcy porous medium with aiding and opposing external flows in the presence of melting, radiation and heat generation or absorption effects for non-Newtonian fluids are developed. Similarity variables are employed for the partial differential equations governing the flow and heat transfer characteristics and the resulting ordinary differential equations are solved numerically by an implicit, iterative, finite-difference method. The accuracy of the numerical method is tested by performing various comparisons with previously published work and the results are found to be in excellent agreement. Representative Flow and heat transfer results are obtained for various combinations of physical parameters. These results are presented graphically to illustrate interesting features of the physics of the problem. Key words: Melting effect, non-Newtonian fluid, non-Darcy flow, thermal radiation, heat generation or absorption.