Effects of chemical reaction, heat and mass transfer on non-linear MHD flow over an accelerating surface with heat source and thermal stratification in the presence of suction or injection

An approximate numerical solution for the steady MHD laminar boundary-layer flow over an accelerating vertical surface with suction or injection in the presence of species concentration and mass diffusion has been obtained by solving the governing equations using R.K. Gill method. The fluid is assumed to be viscous, incompressible and electrically conducting with a magnetic field applied transversely to the direction of the flow. It has been observed that in the presence of mass diffusion: (i) in the case of suction, the velocity decreases and the temperature distribution and concentration of the fluid increase and for injection, the velocity increases and the temperature distribution and concentration of the fluid decrease with increase of thermal stratification parameter, (ii) in the presence of thermal stratification parameter in both the cases of suction and injection, the skin friction and rate of mass transfer decrease and the rate of heat transfer of the fluid increases with increase of chemical reaction effects, (iii) in the cases of suction and injection, an increase in the strength of magnetic field leads to fall in the velocity and rise in the temperature and concentration of the fluid along the surface. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.