Title: Entropy analysis for MHD boundary layer flow and heat transfer over a flat plate with a convective surface boundary condition

Authors: O.D. Makinde

Addresses: Institute for Advance Research in Mathematical Modelling and Computations, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 1906, Bellville 7535, South Africa

Abstract: This paper presents the application of the second law of thermodynamics analysis to magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) boundary layer flow and heat transfer over a flat plate with a convective surface boundary condition. Using a similarity solution technique and shooting quadrature, the velocity and temperature profiles are obtained numerically and utilised to compute the entropy generation number. The effects of magnetic parameter, Brinkmann number, the Prandtl number and local Biot number on the fluid velocity, temperature profile, local skin friction, Nusselt number and entropy generation rate in the flow regime are depicted graphically and discussed quantitatively.

Keywords: flat plates; convective boundary conditions; heat transfer; magnetic field; entropy generation rate; entropy analysis; MHD boundary layer flow; magnetohydrodynamics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2012.045862

International Journal of Exergy, 2012 Vol.10 No.2, pp.142 - 154

Received: 17 Dec 2010
Accepted: 22 Jul 2011

Published online: 15 Mar 2012 *

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