Steady natural convection heat and mass transfer flow through a vertical porous channel with variable viscosity and thermal conductivity

Abstract

AbstractThe present article studies the effects of suction/injection and variable physical properties on steady natural convection flow through a vertical channel. The investigation was done analytically using Differential Transformation Method (DTM). The variability in viscosity and thermal conductivity are considered linear function of temperature. The governing equations are transformed into a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Results obtained were compared with exact solution when some of the flow conditions were relaxed and results from DTM show an excellent agreement with the exact solution which was obtained analytically. The influence of the flow parameters on fluid temperature, concentration, and velocity are presented graphically and discussed for variations of the governing parameters. From the course of investigation, it was found that an increase in suction (S > 0) through the heated plate causes fluid temperature, velocity as well as concentration to decrease. However, an increase in injection causes heat transfer rate as well as skin friction at the heated plate to decrease.