Mixed convective flow with variable viscosity and variable thermal conductivity in a channel in the presence of first order chemical reaction with heat generation or absorption

Abstract

A study has been made on the flow and heat transfer of a viscous fluid in a vertical channel with first order chemical reaction and heat generation or absorption assuming that the viscosity and thermal conductivity are dependent on the fluid temperature. The temperature of the walls is maintained constant. Under these assumptions, the governing balance equations of mass, momentum and energy are formulated. The dimensionless forms of the governing equations are coupled and non-linear, which cannot be solved analytically and therefore require the use of the Runge-Kutta fourth order along with shooting technique. Graphs for velocity and temperature under different values of parameters involved are plotted and discussed. The skin friction and Nusselt number on the channel walls are also computed and discussed. Furthermore, the investigation found that variable viscosity and variable thermal conductivity enhance the velocity and temperature of the flow.