Series Solution of Nanofluid Flow and Heat Transfer Between Stretchable/Shrinkable Inclined Walls

In this research, the steady nanofluid flow and heat transfer characteristics in Jeffery–Hamel flow when the stationary rigid nonparallel plates are permitted to stretch or shrink are investigated. Using appropriate transformations, the momentum and energy equations that govern velocity and temperature fields are converted into nonlinear ordinary differential equations. These resulting equations are solved analytically by applying Adomian decomposition method (ADM) and numerically using a fourth order Runge Kutta method featuring shooting technique. In addition, the skin friction coefficient and the Nusselt number as well as the velocity and temperature profiles are investigated subject to various parameters of interest, namely Reynolds number, Prandtl number, Eckert number, nanoparticle volume fraction and stretching/shrinking parameter. The results indicate that the stretchable or shrinkable walls with the presence of alumina nanoparticles in a water base fluid produces more heat and enhances significantly the heat transfer between nonparallel plane walls. It is also demonstrated that the analytical results match perfectly with those of numerical Runge Kutta method, thus justifying the higher accuracy of the ADM. Finally, a discussion whether the nanofluid problem can be interpreted in terms of regular fluid is given. © 2016, Springer India Pvt. Ltd.