Thermal boundary layer flow on a stretching plate with radiation effect

Abstract

A steady two-dimensional laminar forced convection boundary layer flow over a stretching plate immersed in an incompressible viscous fluid is considered. The stretching velocity is assumed to vary linearly with the distance from the leading edge. The governing partial differential equations are first reduced to ordinary differential equations using a similarity transformation, before being solved numerically using MAPLE software, which based on the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method. Besides, the solution for the thermal field is also given in terms of Kummer's function. The effects of the radiation parameter and the Prandtl number on the heat transfer characteristics are obtained and discussed. It is found that the heat transfer rate at the surface increases as the Prandtl number increases but decreases with the radiation parameter. © 2011 IEEE.