Mixed convection flow over a stretching sheet of variable thickness: Analytical and numerical solutions of self‐similar equations

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, a mixed convection flow over a nonlinearly stretching sheet of variable thickness is examined. Governing equations are modeled and transformed into dimensionless forms by utilizing dimensionless variables. For further investigation, dimensionless, coupled nonlinear differential equations with suitable boundary conditions are numerically solved using the Matlab built‐in function bvp5c tool, and analytical solutions are also computed using the homotopy analysis method. A comparative study is carried out to check the efficiency and accurateness of the proposed solution methodologies. Convergence of the derived series solutions is carefully checked. The impact of wall thickness parameter, velocity index parameter, Prandtl number, and mixed convection parameter on nondimensional velocity, temperature, skin friction coefficient, and local Nusselt number is examined. The novelty of this examination is that the dimensionless equations are self‐similar in the presence of mixed convection. These self‐similar equations are acquired by establishing a relationship between velocity and temperature power index parameters, and similarity solutions exist only for a particular form of variable surface temperature.