UDC 536.25

B. Prabhakar Reddy1) and J. Anand Rao2)

RADIATION AND THERMAL DIFFUSION EFFECTS ON AN UNSTEADY MHD FREE
CONVECTION MASS-TRANSFER FLOW PAST AN INFINITE VERTICAL POROUS
PLATE WITH THE HALL CURRENT AND A HEAT SOURCE

An analysis is performed to study the effects of radiation 
and thermal diffusion on an unsteady MHD free convection heat- and 
mass-transfer flow of an incompressible, electrically conducting, 
viscous fluid past an infinite vertical porous plate with the Hall 
current and a heat source. The flow is considered under the influence 
of a constant suction velocity and a uniform magnetic field applied 
normally to the flow. The dimensionless governing equations are solved 
numerically by the Galerkin finite element method. The effects of 
the flow parameters on the primary and secondary velocities, temperature, 
species concentration, shearing stresses, Nusselt number, and Sherwood 
number are calculated and presented in figures and tables. The results 
obtained show that a decrease in the temperature boundary layer thickness 
occurs, when the Prandtl number and radiation parameter are increased 
and an increase in the Schmidt number leads to a decrease in the concentration 
boundary layer thickness.

Keywords: mass transfer, MHD, Hall current, suction 
velocity, heat source, Galerkin finite element method.

1)Department of Mathematics (PG), AV PG Centre, Gaganmahal, 
Domalguda, Hyderabad-500 029, India; email: prabhakar.bijjula@gmail.com; 
2)Department of Mathematics, University College of Science, 
Osmania University, Hyderabad-500007, India. Original article submitted 
December 4, 2010; revision submitted March 9, 2011.