Buoyancy-Induced MHD Stagnation Point Flow of Williamson Fluid with Thermal Radiation
J. O. Ouru
Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, Kenyatta University, Kenya.
W. N. Mutuku
Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, Kenyatta University, Kenya.
A. S. Oke *
Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, Kenyatta University, Kenya and Department of Mathematical Sciences, Adekunle Ajasin University, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Flow of fluids subjected to thermal radiation has enormous application in polymer processing, glass blowing, cooling of nuclear reactant and harvesting solar energy. This paper considers the MHD stagnation point flow of non-Newtonian pseudoplastic Williamson fluid induced by buoyancy in the presence of thermal radiation. A system of nonlinear partial differential equations suitable to describe the MHD stagnation point flow of Williamson fluid over a stretching sheet is formulated and then transformed using similarity variables to boundary value ordinary differential equations. The graphs depicting the effect of thermal radiation parameter, buoyancy and electromagnetic force on the fluid velocity and temperature of the stagnation point flow are given and the results revealed that increase in buoyancy leads to an increase in the overall velocity of the flow but a decrease in the temperature of the flow.
Keywords: Williamson fluid, Thermal Radiation, Stagnation point, magnetohydrodynamics flow, buoyancy