Unsteady MHD boundary layer flow and heat transfer of a nonnewtonian fluid in the stagnation region of a twodimensional body

Abstract

The unsteady flow and heat transfer of a viscous incompressible electrically conducting non-Newtonian power-law fluid in the stagnation region of a two-dimensional body in the presence of a magnetic are investigated. Two situations are considered: (a) the flow is initially steady, and at t>0 there is a step­change in the velocity of the external (potential) flow, and (b) the velocity in the potential flow is time-dependent. The governing equations have been solved numerically using an implicit finite-difference scheme. The magnetic field strongly affects the skin friction, but its effect on the heat transfer is rather weak. However, the heat transfer is strongly dependent on the Prandtl number. Both the velocity and thermal fields are strongly influenced by the nature of the non-Newtonian fluids. Tables 2, Figs 9, Refs 41.