FLOW AND HEAT-TRANSFER ON A CONTINUOUS FLAT SURFACE MOVING IN A PARALLEL FREE-STREAM OF POWER-LAW FLUID

Boundary layer solutions are presented to investigate the steady flow and heat transfer characteristics of a continuous flat surface moving in a parallel free stream of power-law fluid The equations of motion a re reduced to nonlinear ordinary differential equations by similarity transformations. These equations are solved numerically with double pr ecision, using a procedure based on finite difference approximations. The results are presented for the distribution of velocity and tempera ture profiles within the boundary layer. The effects of the power-law index of fluid on the shear stress at the wall and the rate of heat tr ansfer are studied. For the same generalised Reynolds and Prandtl numb ers, power-law fluid parameter, and velocity difference \u(w) - u(infi nity)\, a greater skin-friction and heat transfer coefficient result f rom u(w) > u(infinity) than from u(w) < u(infinity). (C) 1996 by Elsev ier Science Inc.