Publication

Abstract : This paper deals with the construction of a computational approach based on B-spline functions for solving a nonlinear boundary value problem describing the electro-hydrodynamic flow (EHF) of a fluid in a circular cylindrical conduit. The radial dependence of the velocity field emerging in the EHF is computed. We study the effects of two relevant parameters, namely the Hartmann electric number H and the strength of the nonlinearity β, on the velocity field. Computational results show that the method is of sixth-order accuracy. It is shown that the Hartmann electric number (HEN) and the strength of the nonlinearity both have a profound impact on the velocity profile of EHF and that these effects can be understood from analytical considerations. In particular, quantitative results include: The velocity, taking its maximum at the center of the conduit, does not exceed the value 1/(1+ β)(this confirms a previous result)