Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2017) 132: 113
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2017-11389-8

Regular Article

Effects of chemical reaction and partial slip on the three-dimensional flow of a nanofluid impinging on an exponentially stretching surface

¹ Department of Mathematics, Christ University, Bangalore-29, Karnataka, India
² Department of Studies and Research in Mathematics, Kuvempu University, Shimoga, Shankaraghatta 577451, Karnataka, India
³ Department of Mathematics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
⁴ Department of Mechanical and Civil engineering, Purdue University, Northwest, 46391, Westville, Indiana, USA

^* e-mail: mabood1971@yahoo.com

Received: 7 August 2016
Accepted: 30 January 2017
Published online: 3 March 2017

Abstract

The three-dimensional mixed convection boundary layer flow of a nanofluid induced by an exponentially stretching sheet is numerically investigated in the presence of thermal radiation, heat source/sink and first-order chemical reaction effects. The adopted nanofluid model incorporates the effects of Brownian motion and thermophoresis into the mathematical model. The first-order velocity slip boundary conditions are also taken into account. The governing boundary layer equations are transformed into a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations by employing suitable similarity variables. The resultant equations are solved numerically using the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method. Obtained solutions are compared with previous results in a limiting sense from the literature, demonstrating an excellent agreement. To show the typical trend of the solutions, a parametric study is conducted. The axial velocity, transverse velocity, temperature and nanoparticle volume fraction profiles as well as the skin-friction coefficient, Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are demonstrated graphically as a representative set of numerical results and discussed comprehensively.