NATURAL CONVECTION OVER A HORIZONTAL PLATE IN A NANO FLUID

SATURATED POROUS MEDIUM

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WARANGAL

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF SCIENCE

IN

APPLIED MATHEMATICS

By

PASUPULA VINOD KUMAR

(Roll No. 154913)

Supervisor

Dr. J. PRANITHA

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

WARANGAL-506004

INDIA

APRIL 2017
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the dissertation entitled Natural Convection Over a Horizontal Plate in
a Nanofluid Saturated Porous Medium is the bonafide work done by Mr. PASUPULA
VINOD KUMAR in the Department of Mathematics, National Institute of Technology
Warangal (India).

This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree
of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS.

This work is carried out under my supervision.

Dr. J. PRANITHA

Assistant Professor

Department of Mathematics

National Institute of Technology

Warangal -506004, India

 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the dissertation entitled Natural Convection Over a Horizontal Plate in
a Nanofluid Saturated Porous Medium is the bonafide work done by Mr. PASUPULA
VINOD KUMAR in the Department of Mathematics, National Institute of Technology
Warangal (India).

This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirement for the award of the
degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS.

Prof. D. DUTTA

Professor and Head

Department of Mathematics

National Institute of Technology Warangal

Warangal-506004, India
 CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

NOMENCLATURE

1. INTRODUCTION 1-3

2. MATHEMATICAL FORMULATION 3-8

3. NUMERICAL SOLUTION 8-9

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 9-14

5. CONCLUSIONS 14-15

6. REFERENCES 15-17
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am highly indebted to my dissertation guide Dr. J. Pranitha, Assistant Professor, Department of

Mathematics, National Institute of Technology Warangal, for suggesting the topic for my
dissertation work. I express my deep sense of gratitude for her invaluable and sustained guidance
throughout the process of dissertation work. It is an only account of her guidance and timely help
to present the dissertation work in this shape.

I am grateful to Prof. D. Dutta, Head of the Department and Prof. J.V. Ramana murthy, former
Head, Department of Mathematics, for providing necessary help and support throughout the
period of my course work.

It is my privilege to thank Prof. G. Radhakrishnamacharya, Prof. Y.N. Reddy and, Prof. K.N.S.
KasiViswanadham, Dr. D. Srinivasacharya Department of Mathematics, National Institute of
Technology Warangal, for their valuable suggestions, moral support and encouragement during
my stay.

My special thanks are due to the other faculty members of the Department of Mathematics,
National Institute of Technology Warangal, for their encouraging words from time to time during
my course work.

Finally, I thank all my classmates and friends for making my stay memorable at National
Institute of Technology Warangal.

No words are adequate to express my indebtedness to my parents and their support has been an
invaluable source of inspiration to me.

P. VINOD KUMAR
Nomenclature Greek Symbols

DB Brownian diffusion coefficient Thermal conductivity

DT Thermophoretic diffusion coefficient T Coefficient of thermal expansion
Dm Mass diffusivity c Coefficient of nano particle fraction
Nr Buoyancy ratio expansion
Nb Brownian motion parameter Similarity variable
Nt Thermophoresis parameter Thermal property of the fluid
g Gravitational acceleration Dimensionless temperature
Le Lewis Number Viscosity of the fluid
Ra x Rayleigh number Kinematic viscosity
Nu x Nusselt number f Density of the fluid
K Permeability p Nano-particle mass density
Re Reynolds number
( c ) f Heat capacity of the fluid
S Dimensionless stream function
k f Thermal conductivity Parameter defined by equation
P Pressure f Nanoparticle volume fraction
q Wall heat flux f w Nanoparticle volume fraction at the vertical
Shx Sherwood number plate
T Temperature f Ambient nanoparticle volume fraction
T Ambient temperature attained as y tends to infinite
u Free stream velocity Stream function
Tw Wall temperature
Subscripts
u,v Velocity components in the x and y
directions respectively W Condition wall
x , y Cartesian coordinates along the plate and Condition at infinity
normal to the plate
x,y Dimensionless coordinates along and Superscripts
normal to the plate
' Differentiation with respect to