Regular perturbation solution of Couette flow (non-Newtonian) between two parallel porous plates: a numerical analysis with irreversibility

The unavailability of wasted energy due to the irreversibility in the process is called the entropy generation. An irreversible process is a process in which the entropy of the system is increased. The second law of thermodynamics is used to define whether the given system is reversible or irreversible. Here, our focus is how to reduce the entropy of the system and maximize the capability of the system. There are many methods for maximizing the capacity of heat transport. The constant pressure gradient or motion of the wall can be used to increase the heat transfer rate and minimize the entropy. The objective of this study is to analyze the heat and mass transfer of an Eyring-Powell fluid in a porous channel. For this, we choose two different fluid models, namely, the plane and generalized Couette flows. The flow is generated in the channel due to a pressure gradient or with the moving of the upper lid. The present analysis shows the effects of the fluid parameters on the velocity, the temperature, the entropy generation, and the Bejan number. The nonlinear boundary value problem of the flow problem is solved with the help of the regular perturbation method. To validate the perturbation solution, a numerical solution is also obtained with the help of the built-in command NDSolve of MATHEMATICA 11.0. The velocity profile shows the shear thickening behavior via first-order Eyring-Powell parameters. It is also observed that the profile of the Bejan number has a decreasing trend against the Brinkman number. When η_i → 0(i = 1, 2, 3), the Eyring-Powell fluid is transformed into a Newtonian fluid.