Heat transfer in the magnetohydrodynamic flow of a power-law fluid past a porous flat plate with suction or blowing

An analysis is made of the steady magnetohydrodynamic flow of a power-law fluid past an infinite porous flat plate subjected to suction or blowing. A uniform transverse magnetic field is applied normal to the plate. It is shown that for small magnetic field parameter M, the steady solutions for velocity distribution exist for a pseudoplastic (shear-thinning) fluid for which the power-law index n satisfies 1/2 < n ≤ 1 provided that there is suction at the plate. For blowing at the plate the steady solutions for velocity distribution exist only when n is of the form p/q, where p is an odd positive integer and q is an even positive integer provided 1/2 < n < 1. Velocity at a point is found to increase with increase in M. The solution of the energy equation governing temperature distribution in the flow of a pseudoplastic fluid past an infinite porous plate subjected to uniform suction reveals that the temperature at a given point increases with increase in M.