Locally similar solutions for hydromagnetic and thermal slip flow boundary layers over a flat plate with variable fluid properties and convective surface boundary condition

This paper presents heat transfer process in a two-dimensional steady hydromagnetic convective flow of an electrically conducting fluid over a flat plate with partial slip at the surface of the boundary subjected to the convective surface heat flux at the boundary. The analysis accounts for both temperature-dependent viscosity and temperature dependent thermal conductivity. The local similarity equations are derived and solved numerically using the Nachtsheim-Swigert iteration procedure. Results for the dimensionless velocity, temperature and ambient Prandtl number within the boundary layer are displayed graphically delineating the effect of various parameters characterizing the flow. The results show that momentum boundary layer thickness significantly depends on the surface convection parameter, Hartmann number and on the sign of the variable viscosity parameter. The results also show that plate surface temperature is higher when there is no slip at the plate compared to its presence. For both slip and no-slip cases surface temperature of the plate can be controlled by controlling the strength of the applied magnetic field. In modelling the thermal boundary layer flow with variable viscosity and variable thermal conductivity, the Prandtl number must be treated as a variable irrespective of flow conditions whether there is slip or no-slip at the boundary to obtain realistic results.