Lie Group Analysis for the Effects of Variable Fluid Viscosity and Thermal Radiation on Free Convective Heat and Mass Transfer with Variable Stream Condition

P. Loganathan, P. Puvi Arasu

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DOI: 10.4236/eng.2010.28080                

Abstract

Natural convective boundary layer flow and heat and mass transfer of a fluid with variable viscosity and thermal radiation over a vertical stretching surface in the presence of suction/injection is investigated by Lie group analysis. Fluid viscosity is assumed to vary as a linear function of temperature. The symmetry groups admitted by the corresponding boundary value problem are obtained by using a special form of Lie group transformations viz. scaling group of transformations. An exact solution is obtained for translation symmetry and numerical solutions for scaling symmetry. The effects of fluid viscosity and thermal radiation on the dimensionless velocity, temperature and concentration profiles are shown graphically. Comparisons with previously published works are performed and excellent agreement between the results is obtained. The conclusion is drawn that the flow field and temperature profiles are significantly influenced by these parameters.

Keywords

Scaling Group of Transformations, Free Convective Flow, Temperature-Dependent Fluid Viscosity, Suction/Blowing, Thermal Radiation

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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