HEAT TRANSFER TO MHD OSCILLATORY FLOW

IN A CHANNEL FILLED WITH POROUS MEDIUM

O. D. MAKINDE1 and P. Y. MHONE

Applied Mathematics Department, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Sovenga 0727,
South Africa
Received June 23, 2005

We investigate the combined effect of a transverse magnetic field and

radiative heat transfer to unsteady flow of a conducting optically thin fluid through a
channel filled with saturated porous medium and non-uniform walls temperature. On
the basis of certain simplifying assumptions, the fluid equations of continuity,
momentum and energy are obtained. Closed-form analytical solutions are therefore
constructed for the problem and important properties of the overall structure of the
flow are discussed.
Key words: Oscillatory flow, porous medium, heat transfer, magnetic field.

1. INTRODUCTION

The study of flow of an electrically conducting fluid has many applications

in engineering problems such as magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) generators,
plasma studies, nuclear reactors, geothermal energy extraction, and the boundary
layer control in the field of aerodynamics [1]. In the past few years, several
simple flow problems associated with classical hydrodynamics have received
new attention within the more general context of magnetohydrodynamics
(MHD). A survey of MHD studies in the technological fields can be found in
Moreau [2]. The study of the motion of Newtonian fluids in the presence of a
magnetic field has applications in many areas, including the handling of
biological fluids and the flow of nuclear fuel slurries, liquid metals and alloys,
plasma, mercury amalgams, and blood (Makinde [3], Makinde [4], Rao and
Deshikachar [5]). Another important field of application is electromagnetic
propulsion. Basically, an electro-magnetic propulsion system consists of a power
source (such as a nuclear reactor), plasma, and tube through which the plasma is
accelerated by electromagnetic forces. The study of such systems, which is
closely associated with magneto-chemistry, requires a complete understanding of
the equation of state and transport properties such as diffusion, the shear stress–
shear rate relationship, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and

1 Corresponding author : makindeo@[Link].

Rom. Journ. Phys., Vol. 50, Nos. 9– 1 0 , P. 931–938, Bucharest, 2005

932 O. D. Makinde, P. Y. Mhone 2

radiation. Some of these properties will undoubtedly be influenced by the

presence of an external magnetic field that sets the plasma in hydrodynamic
motion (Hayat and Yongqiwang [6], Makinde [7]).
In recent years, the flow of fluids through porous media has become an
important topic because of the recovery of crude oil from the pores of the
reservoir rocks, in this case, Darcy’s law represents the gross effect. Meanwhile,
there has been a renewed interest in studying magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)
flow and heat transfer in porous media because of the effect on magnetic fields
on the performance of many systems [8]. For example, Raptis et al. [9] have
analysed hydromagnetic free convection flow through a porous medium between
two parallel plates. Aldoss et al. [10] have studied mixed convection flow from a
vertical plate embedded in a porous medium in the presence of a magnetic field.
Chamkha [11] has considered MHD free convection flow from a vertical plate
embedded in a thermally stratified porous medium with Hall effects.
In the present paper, we investigate the combined effects of a transverse
magnetic field and radiative heat transfer on unsteady flow of a conducting
optically thin fluid through a channel filled with saturated porous medium and
non-uniform walls temperature. In the following sections, the problem is
formulated, solved and the pertinent results are discussed.

2. MATHEMATICAL FORMULATION

Consider the flow of a conducting optically thin fluid in a channel filled

with saturated porous medium under the influence of an externally applied
homogeneous magnetic field and radiative heat transfer as shown in Fig. 1. It is

Fig. 1. – Geometry of the problem.

3 Heat transfer to MHD oscillatory 933

assumed that the fluid has small electrical conductivity and the electromagnetic
force produced is very small. Take a Cartesian coordinate system (x, y) where 0x
lies along the centre of the channel, y is the distance measured in the normal
section. Then, assuming a Boussinesq incompressible fluid model, the equations
governing the motion are given as:

∂u = − 1 ∂P + ν ∂ 2 u − ν u − σe B0 u + gβ(T − T ),
2
(1)
∂t ρ ∂x ∂y 2 K ρ 0

∂T = k ∂ 2T − 1 ∂q , (2)
∂t ρc p ∂y 2 ρc p ∂y
with
u = 0, T = Tw , on y = 1, (3)

u = 0, T = T0 , on y = 0. (4)

where u is the axial velocity, t the time, T the fluid temperature, P the pressure, g
the gravitational force, q the radiative heat flux, β the coefficient of volume
expansion due to temperature, cp the specific heat at constant pressure, k the
thermal conductivity, K the porous medium permeability coefficient,
B0 = (μe H 0 ) the electromagnetic induction, μe the magnetic permeability, H 0
the intensity of magnetic field, σe the conductivity of the fluid, ρ the fluid
density and ν is the kinematic viscosity coefficient. It is assumed that both walls
temperature T0, Tw are high enough to induce radiative heat transfer. Following
Cogley et al. [12], it is assumed that the fluid is optically thin with a relatively
low density and the radiative heat flux is given by
∂q
= 4α 2 (T0 − Tw ), (5)
∂y

where α is the mean radiation absorption coefficient. The following

dimensionless variables and parameters are introduced:

y T − T0 a2 σe B02
Re = Ua , x = x , y = , u = u , θ = , H2 = , t = tU ,
ν a a U Tw − T0 ρν a
(6)
gβ(Tw − T0 )a2 Uaρc p
, N 2 = 4α a
2 2
P = aP , Da = K2 , Gr = , Pe =
ρνU a νU k k

where U is the flow mean velocity. The dimensionless governing equations

together with the appropriate boundary conditions, (neglecting the bars for
clarity) can be written as
934 O. D. Makinde, P. Y. Mhone 4

Re ∂u = − ∂P + ∂ u2 − (s2 + H 2 )u + GrT ,
2
(7)
∂t ∂x ∂y

Pe ∂θ = ∂ θ2 + N 2 θ,
2
(8)
∂t ∂y
with
u = 0, θ = 1, on y = 1, (9)
u = 0, θ = 0, on y = 0, (10)

where Gr, H, N, Pe, Re, Da, s = (1/Da) are Grashoff number, Hartmann number,
Radiation parameter, Péclet number, Reynolds number, Darcy number and
porous medium shape factor parameter respectively.

3. METHOD OF SOLUTION

In order to solve equations (7)-(10) for purely oscillatory flow, let

− ∂P = λeiωt , u( y, t ) = u0 ( y )eiωt , θ( y, t ) = θ0 ( y )eiωt , (11)

∂x
where λ is a constant and ω is the frequency of the oscillation. Substituting the
above expressions in Eq. (11) into Eqs. (7) to (10), we obtain:

d 2 θ0 2
2 θ = 0, d u0 − m 2 u = −λ − Gr θ ,
+ m1 0 2 0 0 (12)
dy 2 dy 2
with
u0 = 0, θ0 = 1, on y = 1, (13)

u0 = 0, θ0 = 0, on y = 0, (14)

where m1 = N 2 − iωPe and m2 = s2 + H 2 + iωRe . Eqs. (12) to (14) are

solved and the solution for fluid velocity and temperature are given as follows:

sin(m1 y ) iωt
θ( y, t ) = e , (15)
sin(m1 )

⎛ ⎛ sin( m1 y ) sin( m2 y ) ⎞ λsinh( m2 y )

u( y, t ) = ⎜ 2Gr 2 ⎜ − ⎟+ 2 (cosh(m2 ) − 1)
⎝ ( m1 + m2 ) ⎝ sin( m1 ) sin(m2 ) ⎠ m2 sinh(m2 )
(16)
⎞
+ λ2 (1 − cosh(m2 y )) ⎟ eiωt .
m2 ⎠
936 O. D. Makinde, P. Y. Mhone 6

The shear stress at the upper wall of the channel is given by

⎛ ⎛ m cosh(m1 y ) m2 cosh(m2 y ) ⎞
τ = −μ ∂u = − ⎜ 2Gr 2 ⎜ 1 −
sinh(m2 ) ⎟⎠
(17)
∂y ⎝ (m1 + m2 ) ⎝ sinh( m1 )
λcosh( m2 y ) ⎞
+ (cosh( m2 ) − 1) − λ (sinh( m2 y )) ⎟ eiωt . (18)
m2 sinh(m2 ) m2 ⎠
The rate of heat transfer across the channel’s wall is given as

Nu = − ∂θ = − 1
m cos(m1 ) iωt
e . (19)
∂y sin(m1 )

4. GRAPHICAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

For numerical validation of the our analytical results, we have taken the
real part of the results obtained in equations (15)–(19) and made use of the
following parameter values: Pe = 0.71; Gr = 1; Re = 1; H = 1, 2, 3; N = 1, 2, 3;
λ = 1; t = 0; ω = 1; s = 1. The velocity profile is plotted in Figs. 2 and 3. It can be
observed that the fluid velocity profile is parabolic with maximum magnitude
along the channel centreline and minimum at the walls. However, it is interesting
to note that the magnitude of fluid velocity increases with an increase in
radiation parameter and decreases with an increase in Hartmann number i.e.
magnetic field intensity. In Fig. 4, we observed that the fluid temperature
increases transversely with maximum value at the lower wall and maximum
value at the upper wall. However, a general increase in the fluid temperature is
observed with an increase in radiation parameter through absorption of heat.
Fig. 5 shows the distribution of wall shear stress. The effect of increasing values
of the magnetic field intensity (H) is to decrease the magnitude of the wall shear
stress while an increase in radiation parameter through heat absorption causes a
further increase in the magnitude of wall shear stress.

5. CONCLUSION

This paper investigates the heat transfer to MHD oscillatory flow in a

channel filled with porous medium. The velocity and temperature profiles are
obtained analytically and used to compute the wall shear stress and rate of heat
transfer at the chan nel walls. Generally, our results show that increasing
magnetic field intensity reduces wall shear stress while increasing radiation
parameter through heat absorption causes an increase in the magnitude of wall
shear stress.
7 Heat transfer to MHD oscillatory 937

Acknowledgement. The support received from the Norwegian Universities Fund (NUFU)
and the Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Limpopo, South Africa is gratefully
acknowledged.

NOMENCLATURE

B0 electromagnetic induction
cp specific heat at constant pressure
Da Darcy number
g gravitational force
Gr Grashoff number
H Hartmann number
H0 intensity of magnetic field
k thermal conductivity
K the porous medium permeability
N Radiation parameter
P pressure
Pe Péclet number
q radiative heat flux
Re flow Renolds number
s porous medium shape factor
t time variable
T fluid temperature
T0 Tempearature at y = 0
Tw Tempearature at y = a
u the axial velocity
x axial distance
y transverse distance

β coefficient of volume expansion due to temperature

λ a constant
ω frequency of the oscillation
μe magnetic permeability
ν kinematic viscosity coefficient
ρ fluid density
σe conductivity of the fluid
θ non dimensional temperature

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