Unsteady electro-osmotic flow of couple stress fluid in a rotating microchannel: An analytical solution

In this work, we present the theoretical investigation of the transient rotating electro-osmotic flow of a couple stress fluid in a microchannel, through the Laplace transform technique. The analysis is dependent on the Debye-Huckel linear approximation for electrical potentials. The governing equations of the couple stress fluid are taken to address the flow field in a rotating environment. The mathematical formulation of these governing equations provides a system of ordinary differential equations, which are then solved to achieve analytical solutions for electrostatic potential, axial and transverse velocity distribution, and volumetric flow rate. A comparison was made for the present analytical solution with data available in the literature. There was excellent matching. The characteristics of different influential parameters on axial and transverse velocity distributions, volume, and angle flow rates are pictorially deliberated. The study reveals that the rise in the couple stress parameter accelerates the axial electro-osmotic flow velocity inside the electrical double layer.