Theoretical investigation of the combined effects of solar energy and thermal buoyancy around a laminar jet placed in a porous medium

Abstract

The current research examines the combined effects of solar energy and thermal buoyancy around a laminar jet placed in a porous medium. The governing boundary layer equations are dimensionalized by using appropriate dimensionless variables. The numerical solution of the dimensionless boundary layer equations is obtained using the finite difference method. The impact of physical parameters, which are Darcy number, dimensionless porous medium inertia coefficient, Prandtl number, radiation parameter, and dimensionless fluid's absorption parameter, on velocity and temperature profile, is shown graphically, while the influence of the above parameters on the heat transfer rate is presented in tabular form. It is keenly observed that for Darcy number velocity profile decreases while reverse behavior is noted for temperature distribution. For the dimensionless radiation parameter, both the velocity and temperature profile decrease. The main novelty of the current work is to improve the thermal performance of natural convection heat transfer system in the presence of thermal radiation placed in porous medium.