Similar Solutions for Free Convection From a Nonisothermal Vertical Plate

Abstract

An analysis is made for laminar free convection from a vertical flat plate having a nonuniform surface temperature. The following two families of surface temperatures were studied: (i) T_w – T_∞ = Nxⁿ, (ii) T_w – T_∞ = Me^mx. Both families submit to mathematical analysis by the conventional techniques of laminar boundary-layer theory; i.e., they permit the finding of similar solutions of the boundary-layer equations. Numerical solutions have been carried out for Pr = 0.7 and 1.0; i.e., for gases. Heat-transfer results are presented, as are temperature and velocity distributions.