Numerical Analysis of the Mixed Flow of a Non-Newtonian Fluid over a Stretching Sheet with Thermal Radiation

A mathematical model is elaborated for the laminar flow of an Eyring-Powell fluid over a stretching sheet. The considered non-Newtonian fluid has Prandtl number larger than one. The effects of variable fluid properties and heat generation/absorption are also discussed. The balance equations for fluid flow are reduced to a set of ordinary differential equations through a similarity transformation and solved numerically using a Chebyshev spectral scheme. The effect of various parameters on the rate of heat transfer in the thermal boundary regime is investigated, i.e., thermal conductivity, the heat generation/absorption ratio and the mixed convection parameter. Good agreement appears to exist between theoretical predictions and the existing published results.