Moving wedge and flat plate in a power-law fluid

The steady boundary-layer flow of a non-Newtonian fluid, represented by a power-law model, over a moving wedge in a moving fluid is studied in this paper. The transformed boundary-layer equation is solved numerically for some values of the involved parameters. The effects of these parameters on the skin friction coefficient are analyzed and discussed. It is found that multiple solutions exist when the wedge and the fluid move in the opposite directions, near the region of separation. It is also found that the drag force is reduced for dilatant fluids compared to pseudo-plastic fluids.

► The partial differential equations are reduced to an ordinary differential equation by a similarity transformation.
► The transformed equation is solved numerically using the Keller-box method.
► Multiple solutions exist when the wedge and the fluid move in the opposite directions.
► The drag force is lower for dilatants fluids compared to pseudo-plastic fluids.