Analysis of Unsteady Convective Boundary Layer Flow with Magnetic fields, Chemical reaction, Thermal Radiation and Variable fluid Properties

Abstract

This study extends the previous work by Kitengeso et al. (2018) by investigating unsteady convective boundary layer flow, incorporating magnetic fields, chemical reactions, radiation, and variable fluid properties over the inclined plate. The boundary layer and Boussinesq approximations are used to derive the magnetohydrodynamic flow equations. Thereafter, the equations are transformed into similarity form using similarity variables and then solved using the 4^th order Runge - Kutta method. The key parameters such as the magnetic parameter, chemical reaction rate, variable fluid properties, unsteadiness, convection, and radiation parameter significantly affect flow behavior over an inclined plane.  It was found that increasing the magnetic field strength enhances the fluid velocity, temperature, and concentration. Additionally, an increase in the unsteadiness variation parameter within the boundary layer leads to higher velocity and concentration while reducing temperature. Conversely, the fluid temperature and concentration decrease as the chemical reaction parameter in the boundary layer rises. Furthermore, an increase in the magnetic parameter results in increase in the heat transfer rate while simultaneously decreases the skin friction and mass transfer rates. Also, the fluid temperature decreases as radiation parameter increases.