Peristaltic flow of blood under effect of a magnetic field in a non-uniform channels

The effect of a magnetic field on peristaltic transport of blood in a non-uniform two-dimensional channels has been investigated under zero Reynolds number with long wavelength approximation. Blood is represented by a viscous, incompressible and electrically conducting couple-stress fluid (a fluid which its particles size are taken into account, a special case of a non-Newtonian fluid). It is found that the pressure rise decreases as the couple-stress fluid parameter gamma increases (i.e. small size fluid particle) and increases as the Hartmann number M increases. So the pressure rise for a couple-stress fluid (as a blood model) is greater than that for a Newtonian fluid and is smaller for a magnetohydrodynamic fluid than for a fluid without an effect of a magnetic field. Finally, the maximum pressure rise (Q = 0) increases as M increases and gamma decreases, and the effect of the Hartmann number M is more obvious (for the same (Deltap(L))max) as the couple-stress parameter gamma increases (Newtonian fluid). (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.