Radiation Effects on a General Unified Boundary-Layer Flow of Viscous Fluid with Variable Fluid Properties – A Wavelet Approach

This study considers the modelling of boundary-layer flow of a viscous incompressible fluid due to a stretching sheet or over a wedge. The effect of thermal radiation, temperature-dependent fluid properties such as fluid viscosity and thermal conductivity and an external magnetic field are analysed. The mathematical modelling of the two distinct physical scenarios is unified using a suitable velocity ratio parameter. The posed governing equations are converted to ordinary differential equations using an appropriate generalized similarity transformation. These equations are solved over a semi-infinite domain and analysed using the wavelet-based numerical method. The effect of some vital fluid parameters, such as the Magnetic parameter (M^2), Variable thermal conductivity parameter (δ), Variable viscosity parameter (θ_r), generalized Prandtl number (Pr_v) and Radiation parameter (R) on fluid velocity and temperature profiles are studied. It is found that an increase in the radiation parameter decreases the velocity and temperature profiles. The magnetic parameter is found to retard fluid flow. Error and convergence analysis of obtained solutions using wavelets is performed. The advantages of the wavelet-based numerical method for solving nonlinear coupled equations are also discussed. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the knowledge of researchers working in this field.