Influence of Internal Heat Generation/Absorption, Thermal Radiation, Magnetic Field, Variable Fluid Property and Viscous Dissipation on Heat Transfer Characteristics of a Maxwell Fluid over a Stretching Sheet

The present study investigates the effects of internal heat generation/absorption, thermal radiation, magnetic field, and temperature-dependent thermal conductivity on the flow and heat transfer characteristics of a Non-Newtonian Maxwell fluid over a stretching sheet. The upper convected Maxwell fluid model is used to characterize the non-Newtonian fluid behavior. Similarity solutions for the governing equations are obtained with prescribed surface temperature (PST) and/or with prescribed surface heat flux (PHF). Numerical solutions for the governing equations subject to the appropriate boundary conditions are obtained by a finite difference scheme known as Keller-Box method. The numerical results thus obtained are analyzed for the effects of the several pertinent parameters namely, the Maxwell parameter, the magnetic parameter, the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity parameter, the heat source/sink parameter, the Prandtl number, the Eckert number, and the thermal radiation parameter on the flow and heat transfer fields. Results for the velocity and temperature fields, skin friction, and Nusselt number are shown through graphs. It is observed that the thermal boundary layer thickness increases with increasing values of the elasticity parameter and the magnetic parameter; however it decreases with the Prandtl number.

Keywords:

Maxwell fluid , dynamic flow , Magneto , hydro , Keller , variable thermal conductivity , Thermal radiation , Viscous dissipation , Box method