Mixed Convection Along a Nonisothermal Vertical Flat Plate Embedded in a Porous Medium: The Entire Regime

Abstract

The problem of mixed convection about a vertical flat plate embedded in a porous medium is analyzed. Nonsimilarity solutions are obtained for the cases of variable wall temperature (VWT) in the form Tw(x) = T∞+axn and variable surface heat flux (VHF) in the form qw(x) = bxm. The entire mixed convection regime is covered by two different nonsimilarity parameters χ = [1 + (Rax/Pex)1/2]- and χ* = [1 + (Rax*/Pex3/2)1/3]-1, respectively, for VWT and VHF cases, from pure forced convection (χ = 1 or χ* = 1) to pure free convection (χ = 0 or χ* = 0). A finite-difference scheme was used to solve the system of transformed governing equations. Velocity and temperature profiles, and local Nusselt numbers are presented. It is found that as χ or χ* decreases from 1 to 0, the thermal boundary layer thickness increases first and then decreases, but the local Nusselt number in the form Nux(Pex1/2 + Rax1/2)-1 or Nux(Pex1/2 + Rax*1/3)-1 decreases first and then increases. The correlation equations for the local and average Nusselt numbers are also obtained for the two surface heating conditions. © 1993 Pergamon Press Ltd.

Department(s)

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0017-9310

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 1993 Elsevier, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 1993

Link to Full Text

Share

 
COinS