A study of unsteady physiological magneto-fluid flow and heat transfer through a finite length channel by peristaltic pumping

Abstract

Magnetohydrodynamic peristaltic flows arise in controlled magnetic drug targeting, hybrid haemodynamic pumps and biomagnetic phenomena interacting with the human digestive system. Motivated by the objective of improving an understanding of the complex fluid dynamics in such flows, we consider in the present article the transient magneto-fluid flow and heat transfer through a finite length channel by peristaltic pumping. Reynolds number is small enough and the wavelength to diameter ratio is large enough to negate inertial effects. Analytical solutions for temperature field, axial velocity, transverse velocity, pressure gradient, local wall shear stress, volume flowrate and averaged volume flowrate are obtained. The effects of the transverse magnetic field, Grashof number and thermal conductivity on the flow patterns induced by peristaltic waves (sinusoidal propagation along the length of channel) are studied using graphical plots. The present study identifies that greater pressure is required to propel the magneto-fluid by peristaltic pumping in comparison to a non-conducting Newtonian fluid, whereas, a lower pressure is required if heat transfer is effective. The analytical solutions further provide an important benchmark for future numerical simulations.