Magnetohydrodynamic Flow Past a Vertical Plate With Radiative Heat Transfer

Abstract

The problem of steady, laminar, magnetohydrodynamic flow past a semi-infinite vertical plate is studied. The primary purpose of this study was to characterize the effects of thermal radiative heat transfer, magnetic field strength, and Hall currents on the flow properties. The governing nonlinear coupled differential equations comprising the laws of mass, linear momentum, and energy modified to include magnetic and radiative effects were solved numerically. The effects of the Hall current, the Hartmann number, and the radiative parameter on the velocity and temperature profiles are presented graphically. Large Hall currents and radiation effects cause the fluid to heat up and the velocity to increase in the lateral direction but decrease in the tangential direction. This study showed inter alia that reducing Hall currents and increasing the strength of the magnetic field lead to a reduction in the temperature and, consequently, in the thermal boundary layer, and so confirming that heat transfer mitigation through magnetic control is possible.