Non-isothermal flow of Maxwell fluids above fixed flat plates under the influence of a transverse magnetic field

Abstract

In this article, the magnetohydrodynamic flow and heat transfer of an upper-convected Maxwell fluid is studied theoretically above a flat rigid surface with constant temperature. It is assumed that the Reynolds number of the flow is high enough for boundary layer approximation to be valid. Assuming a laminar, two-dimensional flow above the plate, the concept of stream function coupled with the concept of similarity solution is utilized to reduce the governing equations, which are continuity, momentum, and energy equations, into two ordinary differential equations. The spectral method is used for solving the equations numerically. The effects of magnetic field, and Deborah, Prandtl, and Eckert numbers on the fluid velocity field and heat transfer behaviour are shown in several plots. Obtained results show that fluid velocity can be decreased by increasing the magnetic number while it increases by increasing the Deborah number. Moreover, the thickness of the thermal boundary layer is decreased by increasing the Deborah and Prandtl numbers. It is increased by an increase in the Eckert number.