MHD squeeze flow and heat transfer of a nanofluid between parallel disks with variable fluid properties and transpiration

Background: The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of variable fluid properties, the velocity slip and the temperature slip on the time-dependent MHD squeezing flow of nanofluids between two parallel disks with transpiration. Methods: The boundary layer approximation and the small magnetic Reynolds number assumptions are used. The non-linear governing equations with appropriate boundary conditions are initially cast into dimensionless form by using similarity transformations and then the resulting equations are solved analytically via Optimal Homotopy Analysis Method (OHAM). A detailed parametric analysis is carried out through plots and tables to explore the effects of various physical parameters on the velocity temperature and nanoparticles concentration fields. Results: The velocity distribution profiles for transpiration (suction/blowing) are parabolic in nature. In general, at the central region, these profiles exhibit the cross-flow behavior and also exhibit the dual behavior with the increase in the pertinent parameters. The temperature distribution reduces in the case of suction whereas the reverse trend is observed in the case of injection. Conclusion: The effects of temperature dependent thermophysical properties are significant on the flow field. For higher values of the fluid viscosity parameter, the velocity field increases near the walls. However, the transpiration effects are dominant and exhibit the cross-flow behavior as well as the dual behavior. The temperature and the concentration fields are respectively the increasing functions of the variable thermal conductivity and the variable species diffusivity parameters. © The Author(s). 2017.