On the diffusion of a chemically reactive species in a convective flow past a vertical plate

Abstract

A numerical solution of the first-order homogeneous chemical reaction in an unsteady free convective flow past a semi-infinite vertical plate is studied. The dimensionless governing equations are solved by an efficient, more accurate, unconditionally stable, and rapidly converging implicit finite-difference scheme. The effect of various parameters, such as the Prandtl number, Schmidt number, buoyancy ratio parameter, and chemical reaction parameter on flow velocity and temperature is determined. The velocity profiles are in excellent agreement with available results in the literature. The local and average values of skin friction and Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are calculated. The effects of the chemical reaction parameters on these values are discussed for both generative and destructive reactions. Owing to the presence of the first-order chemical reaction, the velocity is found to increase in the generative reaction and to decrease in the destructive reaction.