Nonsimilar aiding mixed convection along a moving cylinder (Q980831)

The author considers a steady mixed convection flow along a vertically moving cylinder in a constant free stream. The model is described by the continuity, momentum and energy equations written in cylindrical coordinates, along with the corresponding boundary conditions for both static and moving cylinders. These coupled partial differential equations are then transformed to non-dimensional form. They represent a two-dimensional parabolic flow. Such a flow has a predominant stream-wise velocity which in this case is directed along the cylinder. Thus, three parameters are included in the problem, namely the mixed convection parameter \(\omega\), Prandtl number \(\text{Pr}\) and the velocity ratio parameter \(\Lambda\). The moving cylinder case corresponds to \(\Lambda = 1\), and the fixed cylinder case corresponds to \(\Lambda = 0\). The coupled non-dimensional equations are solved numerically using a finite difference method proposed by Patankar in 1980s. The solution procedure starts with a known distribution of velocity and temperature at the cylinder leading edge \((X = 0)\) and marches along the cylinder. At the cylinder leading edge, the temperature and velocity are assumed to be uniform and very small. The author obtains numerically and represents graphically the velocity and temperature profiles as well as skin friction and Nusselt number for \(\text{Pr}= 1\), \(\omega = 1\) (assisting flow), and for different values of \(X\) (non-dimensional distance along the cylinder) and \(\Lambda\) in the range \(0 \leq \Lambda \leq 1\). The main results obtained in this paper are i) the maximum velocities are almost identical at the same \(X\) for the moving cylinder case, the free stream case, and for combined flows; ii) the temperature profiles and the Nusselt numbers are identical at the same \(X\) for the moving cylinder case, the free stream case, and for combined flows; iii) for large values of \(X\), the Nusselt numbers are identical for the free stream case, the moving cylinder case, and for combined flows. The explanation is due to the fact that at large distances from the cylinder edge the buoyancy force is dominant and the influence of either the free stream or the moving cylinder tends to disappear. This paper can find numerous applications in industrial manufacturing processes, such as wire drawing, glass-fiber and paper production, drawing of plastic films, metal and polymer extrusion, to name just a few.