Abstract:
This paper presents a study of a hydromagnetic free convection flow of an electrically conducting micropolar fluid past a vertical plate through a porous medium with a heat source, taking into account the homogeneous chemical reaction of first order. A uniform magnetic field has also been considered in the study which acts perpendicular to the porous surface of the above plate. The analysis has been done by assuming varying permeability of the medium and the Rosseland approximation has been used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. Numerical results are presented graphically in the form of velocity, micro- rotation, concentration and temperature profiles, the skin-friction coefficient, the couple stress coefficient, the rate of heat and mass transfers at the wall for different material parameters. The study clearly demonstrates how a chemical reaction influences the above parameters under given conditions.