Dual solutions in mixed convection with variable physical properties

Assisting and opposing flows in a mixed convection boundary layer flow over an isothermal vertical plate are studied for the case of variable physical properties and uniform free stream. Fluid viscosity and thermal conductivity are assumed to be linear functions of temperature. Using local similarity the flow and heat transfer quantities are found to be functions of four parameters, i.e. Richardson number, Prandtl number, a viscosity variation parameter and a thermal conductivity variation parameter. Numerical solutions are obtained by two methods, a shooting technique and Nachtsheim-Swigert technique, for selected values of parameters appropriate for the fluids considered and specific temperatures of the plate and ambient fluid. For assisting flows, there exist solutions for all values of Richardson number while for opposing flows solutions exist only for a finite set of its values and, in addition, there also exist dual solutions. Important flow and heat transfer quantities of practical interest are determined and the influence of different parameters is discussed.