Hydromagnetic double-diffusive convection in a rectangular enclosure with uniform side heat and mass fluxes and opposing temperature and concentration gradients

The problem of hydromagnetic double-diffusive convective flow of a binary gas mixture in a rectangular enclosure with the upper and lower walls being insulated is solved numerically by the finite-difference methodology. Constant heat and mass fluxes conditions are imposed along the left and right walls of the enclosure and a uniform magnetic field is applied in the direction normal to the left and right walls. In this study, the thermal and the compositional buoyancy forces are assumed to be opposite and internal heat generation or absorption effects are assumed to exist. Numerical results illustrating the effects of the heat generation or absorption coefficient and the Hartmann number on the contours of streamline, temperature and concentration are presented graphically. In addition, results for the velocity, temperature and concentration profiles at mid-section of the enclosure as well as the average Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are presented and discussed for various parametric conditions. (C) 2002 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.