Author(s)

Yohannes Yirga^*, Daniel Tesfay

Department Mathematics, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.

In this paper, the Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Flow of Viscous Fluid over a Nonlinear Stretching Sheet is investigated numerically. The partial differential equations governing the flow are reduced to a non linear ordinary differential equations by using similarity transformations. The resulting transformed equations are numerically solved by an explicit finite difference scheme known as the Keller Box Method. The velocity profiles are determined and the effects of the magnetic parameter and non linear stretching parameter on the flow characteristics are investigated. In addition to this the numerical results for the local skin friction coefficients are computed. Comparison with the exact solution and previously reported analytic solutions is made and excellent agreement is noted. Moreover, the velocity profile obtained by Keller box method is in a better agreement to the exact solution than by the Homotopy Analysis Method. It is also found that, an increase in the magnetic parameter or non-linearity parameter causes a decrease in the velocity profile and velocity distribution.

Magneto-Hydrodynamics, Non-Linear Stretching, Homotopy Analysis Method, Keller Box Method

Yirga, Y. and Tesfay, D. (2014) Magnetohydrodynamic Flow of Viscous Fluid over a Non-Linearly Stretching Sheet. Open Access Library Journal, 1, 1-11. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1101030.