Study of buoyancy effects in unsteady stagnation point flow of Maxwell nanofluid over a vertical stretching sheet in the presence of Joule heating

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to study unsteady magnetohydrodynamic flow of a Maxwell nanofluid over a vertical stretchable surface under the influence of buoyancy force. Here the Fourier's approach for energy transfer is utilized. We discuss two heating processes at the surface, namely (CWT) constant wall temperature and (PST) prescribed surface temperature. Moreover, the impact of Joule heating is also considered to analyze heat transfer phenomenon. Similarity variables are employed to covert PDEs into ODEs. Numerical results are achieved through bvp4c programme in MATLAB. In the limiting case, numerical results are considered to be in reasonable agreement with previously reported results. Behavior of various physical parameter on velocity, thermal and solutal profiles is discussed in detail and presented graphically to aid flow. In this study, the velocity of Maxwell fluid increases with the unsteadiness parameter and thermal buoyancy parameters, according to our results. For larger magnetic field parameters it is observed that velocity and temperature profiles display opposite behavior.

Keywords:

• Maxwell nanofluid
• heat transport
• Joule heating effect
• numerical solutions
• vertical stretching sheet
• Brownian diffusion
• thermophoresis diffusion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia for funding this work through research groups program under grant number RGP.2/20/43.