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NUMERICAL MODELING OF MHD

CONVECTIVE HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER
IN PRESENCE OF FIRST-ORDER CHEMICAL
REACTION AND THERMAL RADIATION
a b c
Sahin Ahmed , Joaquin Zueco & L. M. Lpez-Ochoa
a
Fluid Mechanics Research, Department of Mathematics , Goalpara
College , Goalpara , Assam , India
b
ETS Ingeniera Industrial, Departamento de Ingeniera Trmica y
Fluidos , Universidad Politcnica de Cartagena , Cartagena , Spain
c
Departamento de Ingeniera Mecnica , Universidad de La Rioja ,
Click for updates
Logroo , Spain
Accepted author version posted online: 02 Oct 2013.Published
online: 20 Nov 2013.

To cite this article: Sahin Ahmed , Joaquin Zueco & L. M. Lpez-Ochoa (2014) NUMERICAL
MODELING OF MHD CONVECTIVE HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN PRESENCE OF FIRST-ORDER CHEMICAL
REACTION AND THERMAL RADIATION, Chemical Engineering Communications, 201:3, 419-436, DOI:
10.1080/00986445.2013.775645

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 Chem. Eng. Comm., 201:419436, 2014
Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 0098-6445 print=1563-5201 online
DOI: 10.1080/00986445.2013.775645

Numerical Modeling of MHD Convective Heat and

Mass Transfer in Presence of First-Order Chemical
Reaction and Thermal Radiation

SAHIN AHMED,1 JOAQUIN ZUECO,2 AND

L. M. LOPEZ-OCHOA3
1
Fluid Mechanics Research, Department of Mathematics,
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Goalpara College, Goalpara, Assam, India

2
ETS Ingeniera Industrial, Departamento de Ingeniera Termica y
Fluidos, Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
3
Departamento de Ingeniera Mecanica, Universidad de La Rioja,
Logrono, Spain

An analysis was carried out numerically to study unsteady heat and mass transfer by
free convection flow of a viscous, incompressible, electrically conducting Newtonian
fluid along a vertical permeable plate under the action of transverse magnetic field
taking into account thermal radiation as well as homogeneous chemical reaction of
first order. The fluid considered here is an optically thin gray gas, absorbing-
emitting radiation, but a non-scattering medium. The porous plate was subjected
to a constant suction velocity with variable surface temperature and concentration.
The dimensionless governing coupled, nonlinear boundary layer partial differential
equations were solved by an efficient, accurate, extensively validated, and uncondi-
tionally stable finite difference scheme of the Crank-Nicolson type. The velocity,
temperature, and concentration fields were studied for the effects of Hartmann num-
ber (M), radiation parameter (R), chemical reaction (K), and Schmidt number
(Sc). The local skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number are also pre-
sented and analyzed graphically. It is found that velocity is reduced considerably
with a rise in the magnetic body parameter (M), whereas the temperature and con-
centration are found to be markedly boosted with an increase in the magnetic body
parameter (M). An increase in the conduction-radiation parameter (R) is found to
escalate the local skin friction (s), Nusselt number, and concentration, whereas an
increase in the conduction-radiation parameter (R) is shown to exert the opposite
effect on either velocity or temperature field. Similarly, the local skin friction and
the Sherwood number are both considerably increased with an increase in the chemi-
cal reaction parameter. Possible applications of the present study include laminar
magneto-aerodynamics, materials processing, and MHD propulsion thermo-fluid
dynamics.

Keywords Chemical reaction parameter; Finite differences; Heat and mass

transfer; Magnetic body parameter; Thermal radiation; Wall suction

Address correspondence to Joaquin Zueco, ETS Ingeniera Industrial, Departamento de

Ingeniera Termica y Fluidos, Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena, 30202 Cartagena,
Murcia, Spain. E-mail: joaquin.zueco@upct.es

419
 420 S. Ahmed et al.

Introduction
Unsteady hydromagnetic flows are of great interest in practical metallurgical
processing where quenching rates exert a significant effect on the final constitution
of products. With the combined effect of heat transfer many challenging flow prob-
lems have been studied in transient magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) convection
flows. Ahmed and Liu (2010) analyzed the effects of mixed convection and mass
transfer of three-dimensional oscillatory flow of a viscous incompressible fluid past
an infinite vertical porous plate in the presence of transverse sinusoidal suction velo-
city oscillating with time and a constant free stream velocity. The nonlinear coupled
equations of the work of Ahmed and Liu (2010) were solved analytically by the
employing perturbation technique. Abdelkhalek (2009) investigated heat and mass
transfer effect on hydromagnetic flow of a moving permeable vertical surface. The
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nonlinear coupled boundary layer equations were transformed and the resulting
ordinary differential equations were solved by the perturbation technique. Ahmed
(2010a) investigated the effect of periodic heat transfer on unsteady MHD mixed
convection flow past a vertical porous flat plate with constant suction and heat sink
when the free stream velocity oscillates about a nonzero constant mean.
Combined heat and mass transfer occurs frequently in nature. It occurs not
only due to temperature difference, but also due to concentration difference or the
combination of these two. Chemical reactions can be codified as either a hetero-
geneous or a homogeneous process. This depends on whether they occur at an inter-
face or as a single volume reaction. Many transport processes exist in nature and in
industrial applications in which there is simultaneous heat and mass transfer as a
result of combined buoyancy effects of thermal diffusion and diffusion of chemical
species. In many chemical engineering processes, the chemical reaction occurs
between a foreign mass and the fluid in which the plate is moving. This process
takes places in numerous industrial applications, e.g., polymer production, manufac-
turing of ceramics or glassware, and food processing. Chamkha (2003) investigated
chemical reaction effects on heat and mass transfer laminar boundary layer flow
in the presence of heat generation=absorption effects. Muthucumaraswamy and
Kulaivel (2003) presented an analytical solution to the problem of flow past an
impulsively started infinite vertical plate in the presence of heat flux and variable
mass diffusion, taking into account the presence of a homogeneous chemical
reaction of first order.
Hsiao (2011, 2010a) studied MHD mixed convection for a viscoelastic fluid past
a porous wedge and the effects of the electromagnetic and nonuniform heat source=
sink for a viscoelastic fluid over a stretching sheet. Zueco and Ahmed (2010) studied
the effect of a transverse magnetic field on the steady mixed convective heat and
mass transfer flow over a permeable infinite vertical isothermal porous plate with
constant suction in the presence of a chemical reaction of first order, and they
observed that the temperature decreases with increase of chemical reaction (K).
The effects of chemical reaction coefficient and viscous dissipation on unsteady free
convective heat and mass transfer flow over an infinite vertical permeable plate in the
presence of transverse magnetic field were presented by Ahmed (2010b), who con-
cluded that an increase in the radiation parameter decreases the local skin friction
parameter. Ahmed and Chamkha (in press) analyzed the effects of radiation and
chemical reaction on steady mixed convective heat and mass transfer flow of an opti-
cally thin gray gas over an infinite vertical porous plate with constant suction in the
 MHD Convective Heat and Mass Transfer 421

presence of a transverse magnetic field, and they found that the velocity is reduced
considerably with a rise in the conduction-radiation parameter (R).
Radiation effects have important applications in physics and engineering, parti-
cularly in space technology and high-temperature processes. But very little is known
about the effects of radiation on the boundary layer. Thermal radiation effects on
the boundary layer may play an important role in controlling heat transfer in the
polymer processing industry, where the quality of the final product depends on
the heat-controlling factors to some extent. High-temperature plasmas, cooling of
nuclear reactors, liquid metal fluids, and power generation systems are some impor-
tant applications of radiative heat transfer. Actually, many processes in new engin-
eering areas occur at high temperatures, and knowledge of radiation heat transfer in
addition to convective heat transfer becomes very important for the design of the
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pertinent equipment. Nuclear power plants, gas turbines, and the various propulsion
devices for aircraft, missiles, satellites, and space vehicles are examples of such engin-
eering areas. Raptis and Massalas (1998) investigated the effects of radiation on the
oscillatory flow of a gray gas, absorbing-emitting in the presence of an induced
magnetic field, and analytical solutions were obtained with help of the perturbation
technique. They found that the mean velocity decreases with Hartmann number,
while the mean temperature decreases as the radiation increases. Again, Raptis
and Perdikis (2003) studied the effects of thermal radiation on a moving vertical
plate in the presence of mass diffusion. The governing equations were solved by
the Laplace transform technique. Chamkha (2000) considered the problem of steady,
hydromagnetic boundary layer flow over an accelerating semi-infinite porous surface
in the presence of thermal radiation, buoyancy, and heat generation or absorption
effects. Hsiao (2010b) studied the effect of radiation over a micropolar flow past a
nonlinearly stretching sheet with mass and heat transfer.
MHD mixed free-forced heat and mass convective steady incompressible lami-
nar boundary layer flow of a gray optically thick electrically conducting viscous fluid
past a semi-infinite vertical plate for high temperature and concentration differences
was by Emad and Gamal El-Din (2000). Orhan and Kaya (2008) investigated the
mixed convection heat transfer about a permeable vertical plate in the presence of
magneto and thermal radiation effects using the Keller box scheme, an efficient
and accurate finite-difference scheme. They concluded that an increase in the radi-
ation parameter decreases the local skin friction parameter and increases the local
heat transfer parameter. Makinde (2005) used a superposition technique and a
Rosseland diffusion flux model to study the natural convection heat and mass trans-
fer in a gray, absorbing-emitting fluid along a porous vertical translating plate.
Makinde (2011) and Huang et al. (2011) studied the effect of the chemical reaction
also. Loganathan et al. (2008) investigated first-order chemical reaction on flow past
an impulsively started semi-infinite vertical plate in the presence of thermal radiation
by an implicit finite-difference scheme of the Crank-Nicolson type. Ahmed (2010c)
investigated the effects of radiation and magnetic Prandtl number on the steady
mixed convective heat and mass transfer flow of an optically thin gray gas over an
infinite vertical porous plate with constant suction in the presence of transverse
magnetic field by means of analytical solutions.
The aim of the present study is to investigate the first-order chemical reaction as
well as the magnetohydrodynamic effects on heat and mass transfer flow past an
impulsively started semi-infinite vertical plate in the presence of thermal radiation
by an implicit finite-difference scheme. Such a study has immediate applications in
 422 S. Ahmed et al.

chemical process engineering. A well-tested, numerically stable Crank-Nicolson

finite difference procedure is employed.

Analysis
A two-dimensional, transient, laminar, unsteady natural convection flow of a
viscous incompressible fluid past an impulsively started semi-infinite vertical plate
is considered. It is assumed that there is a first-order chemical reaction between
the diffusing species and the fluid. Here, the x-axis is taken along the plate in the ver-
tically upward direction and the y-axis is taken normal to the plate. Initially, it is
assumed that the plate and the fluid are of the same temperature and the temperature
of the plate and the concentration level are also increased to T w T 1 axn and
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C w C 1 bxm . They are maintained at the same level for all time
t > 0. The physi-
cal configuration and coordinate system is show in Figure 1. Then, under the above
assumptions, the governing boundary layer equations for free convective flow with
usual Boussinesqs approximation are as follows:
Equation of continuity:

u @
v
@

0 1
x @

@
y

Equation of momentum:

u
@
u
@
u
@


 @ 2
u rB2
u


u
v gb T
T 1 gb
C
C 1 n 2
0 2
@
t x
@
y
@
@
y q

Equation of energy:
 2 
@T @T @T 1 @ T @qr


u
v j 2
3
@
t x
@
y qCP
@
@
y @
y

Equation of mass diffusion:

@C @C @C @2C


u
v D 2
KC 4
@
t x
@
y
@
@
y

The initial and boundary conditions are

9

t  0 :

u 0;
v 0; T T 1 ; C C 1 >
>
=
u u0 ;
v 0; T T 1 axn ; C C 1 bxm at
y 0

t > 0 :

5
u 0; T T 1 ; C C 1 at x


0 >
>
;
u ! 0; T ! T 1 ; C ! C 1 as


y!1

For the case of an optically thin gray gas the local radiant absorption is expressed by

@qr  
4 4

4

ar
T 1
T 6
y
@

We assume that the temperature differences within the flow are sufficiently small
4
such that T may be expressed as a linear function of the temperature. This is
 MHD Convective Heat and Mass Transfer 423

4
accomplished by expanding T in a Taylor series about T 1 and neglecting higher-
order terms, thus

4 3 4
T 4T 1 T
3T 1 7

By using Equations (6) and (7), Equation (3) reduces to

 
@T @T @T @2T 3

qCP

u
v j
16
arT 1 T
T 1 8


@t x
@
y
@
@
y 2

On introducing the following nondimensional quantities:

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9
u0 x

u0 y

u


v
tu20 n T
T1 >
x ;y ;u ;v ;t ; Sc ; h ; >
>
n n u0 u0 n D Tw
T1 >
>
>
>
C
C1 qnCP ngbT w
T 1 ngbC w
C 1 =


/ ; Pr ; Gr ; Gr m ; 9
Cw
C1 j u30 u30 >
>

3 >
>
rB20 n nK an 2 r
T
64
>
>
M ; K ; R 1 >
;
qu0 2 2
u0 ju0 2

Equations (1)(4) are reduced to the following nondimensional form:

@u @v
0 10
@x @y

@u @u @u @2 u
u v Grh Grm / 2
Mu 11
@t @x @y @y

@h @h @h 1 @2h R
u v
h 12
@t @x @y Pr @y2 Pr

@/ @/ @/ 1 @2/
u v
K/ 13
@t @x @y Sc @y2

The corresponding initial and boundary conditions in nondimensional form are

9
t  0 : u 0; v 0; h 0; /0 >
>
=
t > 0 : u 1; v 0; h xn ; / xm at y 0
14
u 0; h 0; / 0 at x 0 >
>
;
u ! 0; h ! 0; / ! 0 as y ! 1

Local skin friction (wall shear stress), local Nusselt number (surface heat transfer
gradient), and local Sherwood number (surface species transfer gradient) are given
respectively by
   
u
@
@u
sx
l
15
y
y0
@
@y y0
 424 S. Ahmed et al.

   
x

@T @h
Nux

x 16
Tw
T1 y
@

y0 @y y0
   
x

@C @/
Shx

x : 17
Cw
C1 y
@

y0 @y y0

Numerical Technique
In order to solve these unsteady, nonlinear coupled equations (10)(13) under the
conditions (14), an implicit finite difference scheme of the Crank-Nicolson type
was employed. The finite difference equations corresponding to Equations (10)
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(13) are:
h i
un1 n1 n n n1 n n
i;j
ui
1;j ui;j
ui
1;j
ui
1;j
1 ui;j
1
ui
1;j
1

h 4Dx i
vn1 n1 n n
i;j
vi
1;j vi;j
ui;j
1
0 18
2Dy

h i h i h i
un1 n
i;j
ui;j un1 n1 n n
i;j
ui
1;j ui;j
ui
1;j un1 n1 n n
i;j1
ui;j
1 ui;j1
ui;j
1
uni;j vni;j
Dt 2Dx 4Dy
h i h i
Gr hn1 h n
Grm /n1 /n 
i;j i;j i;j i;j 1
2
un1 n1 n1
i;j
1
2ui;j ui;j1
2 2 2Dy
h i
 M un1 uni;j
i;j
uni;j
1
2uni;j uni;j1
19
2

h i h i h i
hn1
i;j
h n
i;j hn1
i;j
h n1
i
1;j h n
i;j
h n
i
1;j hn1
i;j1
h n1
i;j
1 h n
i;j1
h n
i;j
1
uni;j vni;j
Dt 2Dx 4Dy
h i h i
hn1 n1 n1 n n n
i;j
1
2hi;j hi;j1 hi;j
1
2hi;j hi;j1 R hn1 n
i;j hi;j

20
2PrDy2 2Pr

h i h i h i
/n1
i;j
/n
i;j /n1 n1 n n
i;j
/i
1;j /i;j
/i
1;j /n1 n1 n n
i;j1
/i;j
1 /i;j1
/i;j
1
uni;j vni;j
Dt 2Dx 4Dy
h i h i
/n1 n1 n1 n n n
i;j
1
2/i;j /i;j1 /i;j
1
2/i;j /i;j1 K /n1 n
i;j /i;j

21
2ScDy2 2

The region of integration is considered as a rectangle with sides xmax(1) and

ymax(14), where ymax corresponds to y 1, which lies well outside both the
 MHD Convective Heat and Mass Transfer 425

momentum and energy boundary layers. The maximum of Y was chosen as 14 after
some preliminary investigations so that the last two of the boundary conditions (14)
are satisfied within the tolerance limit 10
5. After experimenting with a few sets of
mesh sizes, the mesh sizes were fixed at the level Dx 0.05, Dy 0.25 with time step
Dt 0.01. In this case, the spatial mesh sizes were reduced by 50% in one direction,
and later in both directions, and the results were compared. It is observed that when
the mesh size was reduced by 50% in the y-direction, the results differ in the fifth
decimal place; when the mesh sizes were reduced by 50% in the x-direction or in both
directions, the results are comparable to three decimal places.
Hence, the above mesh sizes were considered as appropriate for calculation. The
coefficients uni;j and vni;j appearing in the finite-difference equations were treated as
constants in any one time step. Here i designates the grid point along the x-direction,
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and j the grid point along the y-direction. The values of u, v and h are known at all grid
points at t 0 from the initial conditions.
The computations of u, v, h and / at time level (n 1) using the values at pre-
vious time level (n) were carried out as follows: the finite difference equation (21)
at every internal nodal point on a particular i-level constitutes a tridiagonal system
of equations. Such systems of equations are solved by using the Thomas algorithm as
discussed in Carnahan et al. (1969). Thus, the values of / are found at every nodal
point for a particular i at (n 1)th time level. Similarly, the values of h were
calculated from Equation (20). Using the values of / and h at (n 1)th time level
in Equation (19), the values of u at (n 1)th time level were found in a similar
manner. Thus, the values of /, h, and u are known on a particular i-level. Finally,
the values of v were calculated explicitly using Equation (18) at every nodal point
on a particular i-level at (n 1)th time level. This process was repeated for various
i-levels. Thus, the values of /, h, u, and v are known at all grid points in the rectangu-
lar region at (n 1)th time level.
In a similar manner computations were carried out by moving along the
i-direction. After computing values corresponding to each i at a time level, the values
at the next time level were determined in a similar manner. Computations were
repeated until the steady state was reached. The steady state solution is assumed
to have been reached when the absolute difference between the values of u, as well
as temperature h and concentration / at two consecutive time steps, are less than
10
5 at all grid points.

Stability Analysis
The stability criterion of the finite difference scheme for constant mesh sizes were
examined using the Von Neumann technique as explained by Carnahan et al.
(1969). The general term of the Fourier expansion for u, h and / at aptime
arbitrarily
called t 0 is assumed to be of the form expibxexpibyhere i
1. At a later
time t, these terms will become
9
u F texpibxexpiby =
h G texpibxexpiby 22
;
/ H texpibxexpiby

Substituting (22) in Equations (19)(21) under the assumption that the coefficients u,
h and / are constants over any one time step and denoting the values after one time
 426 S. Ahmed et al.

step by F0 , G0 and H0 and after simplification, we get

F 0
F uF 0
F 1
exp
ia D x vF 0 F i sinb Dy

Dt 2Dx 2 Dy
G 0 GGr H 0 H Grm
F 0 F M F 0 F cosb Dy
1
23
2 Dy2

G 0
G uG 0
G 1
exp
ia D x vG 0 Gi sinb D y

Dt 2Dx 2Dy
G 0 Gcosb D y
1 RG0 G

24
Pr Dy2 2Pr
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H 0
H uH 0
H 1
exp
ia Dx vH 0 H i sinbDy

Dt 2Dx 2Dy
0 0
H H cosbDy
1 K H H

25
ScDy2 2

Equations (23)(25) can be rewritten as

Dt
1 AF 0 1
AF GrG 0 G Grm H 0 H
M F 0 F  26
2

1 BG 0 1
BG 27

1 E H 0 1
E H 28

where

u Dt v Dt Dt MDt
A 1
exp
iaDx i sinbDy
cosbDy
1 2

2 Dx 2 Dy Dy 2

u Dt v Dt Dt RDt
B 1
exp
iaDx i sinbDy
cosbDy
1 2

2 Dx 2 Dy PrDy 2Pr

u Dt v Dt Dt KDt
E 1
exp
iaDx i sinbDy
cosbDy
1 2

2 Dx 2 Dy ScDy 2Sc

After eliminating G0 and H0 in Equation (26) using Equations (27) and (28), the
resultant equation is
GrDt Grm Dt MDt
1 AF 0 1
AF G H
F 29
1 B 1 E 1 B

Equations (26)(28) can be written in matrix form as follows:

0 1 0 1
A 10 1
F0 1A D1 D2 F
@ G0 A B
@ 0 1
B C
0 A@ G A 30
1B
H0 0 0 1
E
1E
H
 MHD Convective Heat and Mass Transfer 427

where

GrDt Grm Dt
D1 and D2
1 A1 B 1 A1 E

Now, for stability of the finite difference scheme, the modulus of each eigenvalue of
the amplification matrix does not exceed unity. Since the matrix Equation (30) is tri-
angular, the eigenvalues are its diagonal elements. The eigenvalues of the amplifi-
cation matrix are (1
A)=(1 A), (1
B)=(1 B), and (1
E)=(1 E).
Assuming that u is everywhere non-negative and v is everywhere non-positive,
we get
   
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aDx bDy M
A 2a sin2 2c sin2 ia sinaDx
b sinbDy Dt
2 2 2

u Dt v Dt Dt
a ; b ; c :
2 Dx 2 Dy Dy2

Since the real part of A is greater than or equal to zero, j(1
A)=(1 A)j  1 always.
Similarly, j(1
B)=(1 B)j  1 and j(1
E)=(1 E)j  1.
Hence, the finite difference scheme is unconditionally stable. The local trunc-
ation error is O(Dt2 Dy2 Dx) and it tends to zero as Dt, Dx and Dy tend to zero.
Hence the scheme is compatible. Stability and compatibility ensures convergence.

Results and Discussions

Throughout the discussion we consider Gr Grm 5, m n 0.5. The numerical
values of the velocity, temperature, concentration, local skin friction, Nusselt num-
ber, and Sherwood number were computed for different physical parameters like
chemical reaction parameter, radiation parameter, and magnetic parameter and
are studied graphically. In order to ascertain the accuracy of the numerical results,
the present study was compared with the available exact solution in the literature.
The velocity profiles for R 1.5, K 0.5, Sc 0.78, m n 0.7, t 1.75 and
Pr 0.71 are compared with the available exact solution of Loganathan et al.
(2008) at t 0.2 in Table I, and they are found to be in good agreement. It is
observed that the present results are in good agreement with the available theoretical
solution at a lower time level.
Figure 2(a) illustrates the effect of steady-state velocity for different values of the
radiation parameter (R 0, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 8.0), M 5, K 0.5, Sc 0.78, and
Pr 0.71 at x 1.0. This shows that an increase in the radiation parameter leads to a
fall in the velocity. The time required to reach the steady state is longer for smaller
values of R (for R 0, the time was 7.32, while for R 8.0, the time was 5.01). The
temperature profiles were calculated for different values of thermal radiation para-
meter (R 0, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 8.0), M 5, K 0.5, Sc 0.78, and Pr 0.71
and these are shown in Figure 2(b) in the presence of air at x 1.0. The effect of
the thermal radiation parameter is important in temperature profiles. It is observed
that the temperature increases with decreasing radiation parameter. The effect of
concentration profiles for different values of the radiation parameter (R 0, 0.5,
 428 S. Ahmed et al.

Table I. Comparison of values of the flow velocity (u) with those obtained by
Loganathan et al. (2008) for R 1.5, K 0.5, Sc 0.78, m n 0.7, t 1.75 and
Pr 0.71

Loganathan et al. (2008) Present work

Gr Grm Gr Grm
Y 0.0 5.0 10.0 0.0 5.0 10.0
0.0 1 1 1 1 1 1
2.0 1.472185 1.717228 1.874410 1.471693 1.717183 1.874381
4.0 0.146033 0.193744 0.248211 0.147580 0.193670 0.248146
6.0 0.028831 0.052325 0.057653 0.028706 0.052321 0.057638
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8.0 0.004672 0.012958 0.012920 0.004661 0.012943 0.012905

10.0 0.000729 0.003152 0.002830 0.000728 0.003147 0.002814

1.0, 3.0, and 5.0) are presented in Figure 2(c). The profiles have the common feature
that the concentration decreases in a monotone fashion from the surface to a zero
value far away in the free stream. It is observed that the wall concentration increases
with increasing values of the radiation parameter.
Figure 3(a) illustrates the effect of steady-state velocity for different values of the
magnetic parameter (M 0, 0.5, 1.5, 3.0, 5.0, and 10.0), R 2, K 0.7, Sc 0.78,
and Pr 0.71 at x 1.0. It is observed that steady-state velocity increases with
decreasing values of the magnetic parameter. This is due to the fact that the intro-
duction of a transverse magnetic field, normal to the flow direction, has a tendency

Figure 1. Physical configuration and coordinate system.

 MHD Convective Heat and Mass Transfer 429
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Figure 2. Steady-state (a) velocity, (b) temperature, and (c) concentration profiles at x = 1.0
for different R and t.
 430 S. Ahmed et al.
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Figure 3. Steady-state (a) velocity, (b) temperature, and (c) concentration profiles at x = 1.0
for different M and t.
 MHD Convective Heat and Mass Transfer 431

to create the drag known as the Lorentz force, which tends to resist the flow.
Hence, the horizontal velocity profiles decrease as the magnetic parameter M
increases. The time required to reach the steady state is longer for longer values of
M (for M 0, the time was 6.01, while for M 10.0, the time was 8.03). It can be
seen from Figure 3(b) that an increase in the value of the magnetic parameter
increases the temperature of the fluid in the medium. As in the previous case, the
time required to reach the steady state is longer for longer values of M (for
M 0, the time was 6.01, while for M 5.0, the time was 7.47). It can be seen
from Figure 3(c) that the concentration of the fluid is increased by increasing the
value of the magnetic parameter. As explained above, the transverse magnetic field
gives rise to a resistive force known as the Lorentz force of an electrically conducting
fluid. This force makes the fluid experience resistance by increasing the friction
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between its layers and thus increases its temperature and concentration. As in the
previous cases, the time required to reach the steady state is longer for longer
values of M.
The mass diffusion equation (13) can be adjusted to represent a destructive
chemical reaction (which means endothermic, i.e., heat is absorbed) if K > 0 or a
generative chemical reaction (which means exothermic, i.e., heat is generated) if
K < 0. Endothermic reactions cannot occur spontaneously, due to the fact that work
must be done in order to get these reactions to occur. When endothermic reactions
absorb energy, a temperature drop is measured during the reaction. Endothermic
reactions are characterized by positive heat flow (into the reaction) and an increase
in enthalpy. Exothermic reactions may occur spontaneously and result in higher ran-
domness or entropy of the system. They are denoted by a negative heat flow (heat is
lost to the surroundings) and decrease in enthalpy. The effect of velocity for different
chemical reaction parameters (K
2.0,
1.0, 0, 2.0, and 3.0), M 7, R 3.5,
Pr 0.71, and Sc 0.78 are shown in Figure 4(a). It is observed that the velocity
increases with decreasing chemical reaction parameter. This shows that velocity
increases during a generative reaction and decreases in a destructive reaction. It is
observed in Figure 4(b) that the temperature decreases with increasing values of
chemical reaction parameter. In addition, the thermal boundary layer thickness
decreases with increasing chemical reaction parameter. The effect of concentration
profiles for different values of the chemical reaction parameter (K
2.0,
1.0, 0,
2.0, and 3.0) are presented in Figure 4(c). The effect of the chemical reaction para-
meter is dominant in the concentration field. The profiles have the common feature
that the concentration decreases in a monotonic fashion from the surface to a zero
value far away in the free stream. It is observed that the wall concentration increases
with decreasing values of the chemical reaction parameter.
The local values of the skin friction are evaluated from Equation (15) and
plotted in Figure 5. The local wall shear stress increases with increasing magnetic
field parameter. It is observed that the skin friction increases with increasing values
of the chemical reaction parameter and that the skin friction increases with decreas-
ing values of the radiation parameter. The local Nusselt number for different radi-
ation parameters and Prandtl numbers are shown in Figure 6. The rate of heat
transfer increases with increasing radiation parameter and Prandtl number. In
Figure 7, the local Sherwood number for different values of the chemical reaction
parameter (K 0.5, 1.5, and 3.0) and of the Schmidt number (Sc 0.3, 0.6, and
0.78) with R 3.5, M 7.0, and Pr 0.71 are shown. The trend shows that the rate
of concentration increases during a destructive reaction, i.e., Sh number increases
 432 S. Ahmed et al.
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Figure 4. Steady-state (a) velocity, (b) temperature, and (c) concentration profiles at x = 1.0
for different K and t.
 MHD Convective Heat and Mass Transfer 433
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Figure 5. Effects of (a) R and M and (b) K on local skin friction for different t.

Figure 6. Effects of R and Pr on local Nusselt number for different t.

 434 S. Ahmed et al.
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Figure 7. Effects of K and Sc on local Sherwood number for different t.

with increasing chemical reaction parameter. In addition, the local Sherwood

number increases with increasing values of the Schmidt number.

Conclusions
A finite difference study was carried out for unsteady hydromagnetic flow past
a vertical permeable plate in the presence of a homogeneous chemical reaction of
first order taking into account the thermal radiation (the fluid considered here is
an optically thin gray gas, absorbing-emitting radiation, but a non-scattering
medium). The dimensionless governing equations were solved by an implicit finite
difference scheme of the Crank-Nicolson type. The velocity profiles for t 1.75 were
compared with the exact solution and were found to be in good agreement. The
local skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number are shown graphically.
The main conclusions of the study are as follows:
1. Velocity decreases in the presence of magnetic field rather than in its absence.
2. Velocity and concentration increase during a generative reaction (K < 0) and
decrease in a destructive reaction (K > 0).
3. When the radiation parameter R increases the velocity and temperature decrease,
while the concentration increases.
4. The wall shear stress increases with either M or K increasing.
5. The rate of mass transfer increases with increasing chemical reaction parameter.
6. When the radiation parameter R increases the local skin friction decreases,
while the Nusselt number increases.

Nomenclature
a

absorption coefficient
B0 uniform magnetic field
C species concentration, Kg  m
3
Cp specific heat at constant pressure, J  kg
1  K
 MHD Convective Heat and Mass Transfer 435

C1 species concentration in the free stream, Kg  m
3

Cw species concentration at the surface, Kg  m
3
D chemical molecular diffusivity, m2  s
1
g acceleration due to gravity, m  s
2
Gr thermal Grashof number
Grm mass Grashof number
M Hartmann number=magnetic body parameter
m surface concentration power law exponent
n surface temperature power law exponent
Nu Nusselt number
p

pressure, Pa
Pr Prandtl number
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qr radiation parameter
R nondimensional radiation parameter
Sc Schmidt number
Sh Sherwood number
T temperature, K
Tw fluid temperature at the surface, K
T1 fluid temperature in the free stream, K
u dimensionless velocity component in x-direction, m  s
1
u0 plate velocity, m  s
1
Greek letters
a thermal diffusivity
b coefficient of volume expansion for heat transfer, K
1
b
coefficient of volume expansion for mass transfer, K
1
h dimensionless fluid temperature, K
j thermal conductivity, W  m
1  K
1
l coefficient of viscosity, kg  m
3
t kinematic viscosity, m2  s
1
q density, kg  m
3
r electrical conductivity
r
Stefan-Boltzmann constant
s shearing stress, N  m
2
/ dimensionless species concentration, Kg  m
3
Subscripts
w conditions on the wall
1 free stream conditions

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