Mixed convection heat transfer for a non-Newtonian fluid around a cylinder or sphere embedded in porous media

In this study, the combined effects of natural and forced convection heat transfer for a power law non-Newtonian fluid around a cylinder or sphere embedded in a porous media is investigated. The governing equations were solved using the Keller box method, and the solutions are obtained for the nonsimilarity parameter ζwhich represents the strength of the mixed convection, where ζ = O corresponds to the pure forced convection and ζ; → ∞ corresponds to natural convection. The effects of the characteristic parameters on the velocity, temperature, local heat transfer rate were found and presented in figures for the mixed convection regime. It was found that the increasing of the viscosity power law index decreases the dimensionless velocity of the fluid as well as the local heat transfer rate in the boundary layer, but increases the dimensionless temperatures in the same area.