International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 37 (2010) 476–479

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International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer

j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s ev i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / i c h m t

Unsteady flow across a stretching surface☆

F.M. Ali a, R. Nazar b,⁎, N.M. Arifin a, A. Ishak b, I. Pop c
a
Department of Mathematics & Institute for Mathematical Research, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
b
School of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
c
Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cluj, R-3400 Cluj, CP 253, Romania

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Available online 11 March 2010 In this paper, the problem of unsteady uniform flow across a stretching surface in an arbitrary direction is
studied theoretically, where the unsteadiness is caused by the impulsive motion of the stretching surface.
Keywords: Numerical results of the governing partial differential equations are obtained using an implicit finite-
Unsteady flow difference scheme for the whole transient from the early or initial unsteady-state flow to the final steady-
Boundary layer state flow. The early unsteady-state flow is solved analytically. The numerical solution obtained for the
Stretching surface reduced skin friction coefficient is compared with previously reported results and the results for velocity
Numerical results
profiles, h and g profiles are also presented in this paper. It is found that there is a smooth transition from the
small-time solution (initial unsteady flow) to the large-time solution (final steady-state flow).
© 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction implicit finite-difference method. We also presented an analytical

solution for the case of an early (initial) unsteady-state flow. To the
The study of boundary layer flow on a continuously stretching sheet best of our knowledge, the present problem has not been considered
or moving wall in quiescent fluid has many important applications in before.
the fields of science and engineering. A number of technical processes
concerning polymers involve the cooling of continuous strips or 2. Basic equations
filaments by drawing them through a quiescent or moving fluid. In
these cases, the properties of the final product depend to a great extent Consider a semi-infinite surface which at time t = 0 is stretched
on the rate of cooling which is governed by the structure of the boundary with the velocity uw(x) = ax in the x direction, where a is a positive
layer near the stretching sheet. Crane [1] was the first to obtain the exact constant and the coordinate x is measured along the stretching
solution of the steady two-dimensional flow over a stretching surface in surface as can be seen in Fig. 1 of the paper by Wang [3]. It is assumed
a quiescent fluid, while the steady three-dimensional flow due to a that a uniform, forced parallel flow exists at large z with decompo-
stretching surface has been studied by Wang [2]. The steady uniform sition velocities (U, V) in the (x, y) directions. By assuming no lateral
flow across a stretching surface in an arbitrary direction has been also pressure gradient and all variables are independent of y, the unsteady
considered by Wang [3]. On the other hand, some authors have worked nonlinear governing equations are given by
on the unsteady boundary layer flow over stretching surfaces in several
aspects (cf. [4–13]), among others. For example, unsteady three-
∂u ∂w
dimensional boundary layer flow due to a stretching surface has been + =0 ð1Þ
∂x ∂z
investigated by Rajeswari et al. [5], while Takhar and Nath [7]
considered the effect of the magnetic field on a stretching surface in a !
rotating fluid. ∂u ∂u ∂u ∂2 u ∂2 u
The present paper aims to extend the problem of steady uniform +u +w =ν + ð2Þ
∂t ∂x ∂z ∂x2 ∂z2
flow across a stretching surface in an arbitrary direction studied by
Wang [3] to the case of unsteady flow, where the unsteadiness is
!
caused by the impulsive motion of the stretching surface. The ∂v ∂v ∂v ∂2 v ∂2 v
transformed equations are solved numerically using an efficient +u +w =ν + ð3Þ
∂t ∂x ∂z ∂x2 ∂z2

!
☆ Communicated by A.R. Balakrishnan. ∂w ∂w ∂w 1 ∂p ∂2 w ∂2 w
⁎ Corresponding author. +u +w =− +ν + ð4Þ
∂t ∂x ∂z ρ ∂z ∂x 2
∂z2
E-mail address: rmn72my@yahoo.com (R. Nazar).

0735-1933/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2010.01.014
 F.M. Ali et al. / International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 37 (2010) 476–479 477

where η is the similarity variable and ψ is the stream function which is

Nomenclature ∂ψ
defined as u = ∂ψ ∂z
and w = − , and identically satisfy Eq. (1). It is
∂x
worth mentioning that it is convenient to choose time scale ξ so that
a constant
the region of dimensionless time integration 0 ≤ t ̄ b ∞ may become
Cfx, Cfy skin friction coefficients in the x and y directions,
finite, 0 ≤ ξ ≤ 1. From Eq. (6), we get
respectively
f, G dimensionless stream functions ′ 1=2 1=2
p pressure u = axf ðξ; ηÞ + Ugðξ; ηÞ; w = −ðaνÞ ξ f ðξ; ηÞ ð7Þ
Rex local Reynolds number
t, t ̄ time and dimensionless time, respectively where G′(ξ, η) = g(ξ, η) and primes denote differentiation with
u, v, w velocity components along the x, y and z directions, respect to η. Using Eqs. (6) and (7), Eqs. (2) and (3) reduce to
respectively
U, V decomposition velocities along the x and y directions, η   ∂f
′
‴ ″ ″ ′2
f + ð1−ξÞf + ξ ff −f = ξð1−ξÞ ð8Þ
respectively 2 ∂ξ
x, y, z Cartesian coordinates along the surface and normal to
η   ∂g
it, respectively ″
g +
′ ′ ′
ð1−ξÞg + ξ fg −f g = ξð1−ξÞ ð9Þ
2 ∂ξ

″ η ′ ′ ∂h
Greek symbols h + ð1−ξÞh + ξ f h = ξð1−ξÞ ð10Þ
2 ∂ξ
η similarity variable
μ dynamic viscosity
ν kinematic viscosity subject to the boundary conditions (Eq. (5)) which become
ξ time scale
′
ρ fluid density f ðξ; 0Þ = 0; f ðξ; 0Þ = 1; g ðξ; 0Þ = 0; hðξ; 0Þ = 0;
τx, τy shear stresses in the x and y directions, respectively
ψ stream function
′
f ðξ; ηÞ→0; g ðξ; ηÞ→1; hðξ; ηÞ→1 as η→∞: ð11Þ

subject to the boundary conditions

After f or w is obtained, the pressure p can be found from Eq. (4),
tb0 : u = v = w = 0 for any x; y; z which gives

2 ∞
t≥0 : u = ax; v = w = 0 at z = 0 p w ∂w ∂
=− +ν + ∫ w dz + Const: ð12Þ
ρ 2 ∂z ∂t z
u→U; v→V as z→∞: ð5Þ
The skin friction coefficients in the x and y directions, respectively,
are given by
3. Solution procedure
τx h i
1= 2 −1 = 2 ″ ′
Cfx Rex = = 2ξ f ð0Þ + g ð0Þ ð13Þ
Following Nazar et al. [8], Williams and Rhyne [14], as well as ρ½uw ðxÞ = 2
2

Seshadri et al. [15], we look for similarity solutions of Eqs. (1)–(4)

subject to boundary conditions (Eq. (5)) by using the following 1= 2 τy −1 = 2 ′
transformation, guided by the boundary conditions: Cfy Rex = = 2ξ h ð0Þ ð14Þ
ρ½uw ðxÞ2 = 2
1 = 2 −1 = 2 1=2 1=2 1=2 1=2
η = ða=νÞ ξ z; ψ = ðaνÞ ξ xf ðξ; ηÞ + U ðν= aÞ ξ Gðξ; ηÞ; where τx and τy are the shear stresses in the directions of x and y,
P
respectively, which are given by
−t P
v = Vhðξ; ηÞ; ξ = 1−e ; t = at; ð6Þ  
∂u pffiffiffiffiffiffi −1 = 2 h ″ ′
i
τx = μ = ρ aνξ axf ðξ; 0Þ + Ug ðξ; 0Þ ð15Þ
∂z z = 0
 
∂v pffiffiffiffiffiffi −1 = 2 ′
τy = μ = ρ aνξ Vh ðξ; 0Þ ð16Þ
∂z z = 0

with μ being the dynamic viscosity of the fluid.

The unsteadiness can be divided into 2 cases:
(i) Initial unsteady-state flow (t = 0)
In this case, we have ξ ≈ 0 where Eqs. (8)–(10) reduce to the
following ordinary differential equations:

‴ 1 ″ ″ 1 ′ ″ 1 ′
f + η f = 0; g + η g = 0; h + ηh = 0 ð17Þ
2 2 2

and the boundary conditions (Eq. (11)) become

′
f ð0Þ = 0; f ð0Þ = 1; g ð0Þ = 0; hð0Þ = 0;
′
Fig. 1. The universal functions f(η), g(η) and h(η) for final steady-state solution (ξ = 1). f ð∞Þ = 0; g ð∞Þ = 1; hð∞Þ = 1:
478 F.M. Ali et al. / International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 37 (2010) 476–479

Fig. 2. Variation of velocity profiles f′(ξ, η). Fig. 4. Variation of g(ξ, η) profiles.

Note that f(ξ,η) ≅ f(0, η) ≅ f(η), and primes denote the differ- where E1 is the exponential function (see [17]). The solution
entiation with respect to η. Eq. (17) with the boundary for Eq. (10) is given by Wang [3] as follows:
conditions (Eq. (18)) gives the exact solutions

  e
1−s
−1 e  −η  1
′ 2 −η2 = 4 ″ 1 hðηÞ = = exp −e − : ð21Þ
f = erfcðη = 2Þ; f = ηerfcðη = 2Þ + pffiffiffi 1−e ; f ð0Þ = − pffiffiffi ; e−1 e−1 e
π π
4. Results and discussion
′ 1 ′ 1
g = 1−erfcðη = 2Þ; g ð0Þ = pffiffiffi ; h = 1−erfcðη = 2Þ; h ð0Þ = pffiffiffi
π π Eqs. (8)–(10) subject to the boundary conditions (Eq. (11)) have
ð18Þ been solved numerically using the Keller-box method. The numerical
2 η −s2
result of the reduced skin friction coefficient f″(0) for the final steady-
where erf ðηÞ = pffiffiffi∫o e ds and erfc(η) = 1 − erf(η) is the com- state flow (ξ = 1) found in this study is −1.0000 and has been
π
plementary error function. compared with Wang [2] (− 1.000000), Lakshmisha et al. [4]
(ii) Final steady-state flow (t → ∞) (−0.999974), Rajeswari et al. [5] (− 0.999818), Takhar and Nath [7]
In the final steady-state flow, ξ = 1, Eqs. (8)–(10) become (−1.000000) and Ishak et al. [9] (−1.000000). These results show
that the agreement is very good.
‴ ″ ′2 ′ ′ ′
f + ff −f = 0; g ″ + fg −f g = 0; h″ + fh = 0 ð19Þ The universal functions, f, g, and h are plotted in Fig. 1 for the final
steady-state case (ξ = 1) and it is observed that all the three functions
with the same boundary conditions (Eq. (18)). These equa- increase from zero to unity, but at different rates, in which g(η) and h(η)
tions are identical with those reported by Wang [3] for the satisfy the boundary conditions (Eq. (11)). Figs. 2–4 display the
steady flow across a stretching surface. dimensionless velocity f′(ξ, η), g(ξ, η) and h(ξ, η) profiles, respectively,
The solution for f is in agreement with the exact solution where these profiles increase in ξ for 0 b ξ b 1 (fully developed flow)
obtained by Crane [1] who found that: f(η) = 1 − e− η, while approaching ξ = 1 (final steady-state flow). Velocity profiles, f′(ξ, η) and
the solution for g was found by Danberg [16] as h profiles decrease with the increase in ξ, but after a certain point they

increase when ξ increases. These can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3. From Fig. 4,
 −η  1 −η −η  −η 
g ðηÞ = exp −e + E1 ð1Þ− e −e E1 e ð20Þ it is found that g profiles decrease monotonically with the increase of ξ.
e Fig. 5 displays the variation of f(ξ, η), and it is shown that f(ξ, η)

Fig. 3. Variation of h(ξ, η) profiles. Fig. 5. Variation of f(ξ, η) profiles.

 F.M. Ali et al. / International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 37 (2010) 476–479
Fig. 6. The surface shear stresses for 0 b ξ ≤ 1.
decreases monotonically as ξ increases. Fig. 6 illustrates the reduced skin
friction coefficients (surface shear stresses) for 0 b ξ ≤ 1 by solving
Eqs. (8)–(10) numerically. The skin friction coefficients CfxRe1/2
decreasing and CfyRe1/2
x increasing continuously and approaching the
steady-state values at ξ = 1 as t → ∞. Therefore, there is a smooth
transition from the small-time solution to the large-time solution.
5. Conclusions
A numerical study was performed to solve the problem of
unsteady laminar boundary layer flow across a stretching surface for
full equation (0 b ξ b 1) and also when the flow reached the final
steady-state (ξ = 1). For the initial or early unsteady-state (ξ ≈ 0),
analytical results were obtained. It is found that there is a smooth
transition from the initial unsteady-state flow (t = 0) to the final
steady-state flow (t → ∞).
479
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support received
from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM-GUP-BTT-07-25-174).
The authors are also grateful to the anonymous reviewer for the
valuable comments and suggestions.
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