Three-dimensional mixed convection flow with variable thermal conductivity and frictional heating

Abstract

In this article, three-dimensional mixed convection flow over an exponentially stretching sheet is investigated. Energy equation is modelled in the presence of viscous dissipation and variable thermal conductivity. Temperature of the sheet is varying exponentially and is chosen in a form that facilitates the similarity transformations to obtain self-similar equations. Resulting nonlinear ordinary differential equations are solved numerically employing the Runge–Kutta shooting method. In order to check the accuracy of the method, these equations are also solved using bvp4c built-in routine in Matlab. Both solutions are in excellent agreement. The effects of physical parameters on the dimensionless velocity field and temperature are demonstrated through various graphs. The novelty of this analysis is the self-similar solution of the three-dimensional boundary layer flow in the presence of mixed convection, viscous dissipation and variable thermal conductivity.