Mixed convection flow of micropolar fluid over an isothermal plate with variable spin gradient viscosity

Summary A steady two-dimensional mixed convection flow of viscous incompressible micropolar fluid past an isothermal horizotal heated plate with uniform free stream and variable spin-gradient viscosity is considered. With appropriate transformations the boundary layer equations are transformed into nonsimilar equations appropriate for three distinct regimes, namely, the forced convection regime, the free convection regime and the mixed convection regime. Solutions of the governing equations for these regimes are obtained by an implicit finite difference scheme developed for the present problem. Results are obtained for the pertinent parameters, such as the buoyancy parameter, in the range of 0 to 10 and the vortex viscosity parameters, =0.0, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 and 10.0 for fluid with Prandtl number Pr=0.7 and are presented in terms of local shear-stress and the local rate of heat transfer. Effects of these parameters are also shown graphically on the velocity, temperature and the couple stress distributions. From the present analysis, it is observed that both the momentum boundary layer and the thermal boundary layer increase due to an increase in the vortex viscosity of the fluid.List of symbols f, F, dimensionless stream function for forced convection free convection and mixed convection, respectively - g acceleration due to gravity - Gr_x local Grashof number - j micro-inertia density - m ₂₃ distribution of couple stress - N microrotation component normal to (x, y)-plane - p pressure of the fluid - q dimensionless rate of heat transfer - Re_x local Reynolds number - T temperature of the fluid in the boundary layer - T temperature of the ambient fluid - T temperature at the surface - u, v thex andy-components of the velocity field - U free stream velocity - x, y axis in direction along and normal to the plate Greek thermal diffusivity - coefficient of volume expansion - vortex viscosity parameter - stream function - , , nondimensional similarity variables - buoyancy parameter (=Gr _x Re _x ^/5/2 ) - vortex viscosity - density of the fluid - v kinematic coefficient of viscosity - spin-gradient viscosity - stream function - dimensionless skin-friction - fluid viscosity