Mixed convection flow in a porous medium bounded by two vertical walls

The aim of the investigation is to study the fully developed mixed convection flow in a porous medium bounded by two vertical walls having a linear axial temperature variation. Solution of the governing second order simultaneous differential equations, derived by non-dimensionalising the momentum and energy equations, has been obtained by converting them into a fourth order differential equation. It has been found that the fourth order differential equation has five different solutions depending upon the values of the Darcy number, Rayleigh number and ratio of the effective viscosity of the porous domain to the viscosity of the fluid. Graphical representation of the analytical solution shows that the flow is of parabolic type only for higher Darcy number whereas there is a reverse type of motion for lower Darcy numbers. The effect of the ratio of the effective viscosity of the porous matrix to the viscosity of the fluid is to decrease the velocity field.