LAMINAR FREE-CONVECTION FLOW OF MICROPOLAR FLUIDS FROM A CURVED SURFACE

The laminar free convection flow of a micropolar fluid past an arbitra ry curved surface has been analysed by using the cubic spline collocat ion numerical method. It is found that the flow field admits similarit y solutions when the power functions for the stream-wise variations of the wall temperature m and the body shape configurations n are consta nts, and the sum of them is equal to unity. The solutions for the flow and heat transfer characteristics are evaluated numerically for diffe rent parameters, such as the body shape parameter n, the vortex viscos ity parameter N-1, the spin-gradient viscosity parameter N-3 and the P randtl number Pr. Results show that the heat transfer rate increases a s the body shape parameter n or the parameter N-1 decreases and the Pr andtl number increases. The skin friction factor increases as the valu e of N-1 decreases. In addition, an increase in the parameter N-3 lead s to an increase of the angular velocity boundary layer thickness. The model may solve industrial problems with processing of polymeric liqu ids, lubricants and molten plastics.