Fully-developed free-convective flow of micropolar and viscous fluids in a vertical channel

The problem of fully-developed laminar free-convection flow in a vertical channel is studied analytically with one region filled with micropolar fluid and the other region with a viscous fluid. Using the boundary and interface conditions proposed by previous investigators, analytical expressions for linear velocity. micro-rotation velocity and temperature have been obtained. Numerical results are presented graphically for the distribution of velocity, micro-rotation velocity and temperature fields for varying physical parameters such as the ratio of Grashof number to Reynolds number, viscosity ratio, width ratio, conductivity ratio and micropolar fluid material parameter. It is found that the effect of the micropolar fluid material parameter suppress the velocity whereas it enhances the micro-rotation velocity. The effect of the ratio of Grashof number to Reynolds number is found to enhance both the linear velocity and the micro-rotation velocity. The effects of the width ratio and the conductivity ratio are found to enhance the temperature distribution. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.