Instabilities in a liquid film flow over an inclined heated porous substrate

• Published in: Chemical engineering science 2010-08, Vol.65 (15), p.4443-4459
• Main Authors: Sadiq, I. Mohammed Rizwan, Usha, R., Joo, Sang Woo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amplitudes; Applied sciences; Chemical engineering; Disturbances; Drainage; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid mechanics; Heat and mass transfer. Packings, plates; Heat transfer; Instability; Mathematical analysis; Permeability; Porous media; Stability; Stability analysis
• ISSN: 0009-2509; 1873-4405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2010.04.005

Stability of a thin viscous Newtonian fluid draining down a uniformly heated porous inclined plane is examined. The long-wave linear stability analysis is performed within the generic Orr-Sommerfeld framework both theoretically and numerically. An evolution equation for the local film thickness for two-dimensional disturbances is derived to analyze the effect of long-wave instabilities. The parameters governing the film flow system and the porous substrate strongly influence the wave forms and their amplitudes and hence the stability of the fluid. The long-time wave forms are either time-independent wave forms that propagate or time-dependent modes that oscillate slightly in the amplitude. The role of permeability and Marangoni number is to increase the amplitude of the disturbance leading to the destabilization state of the film flow system. The permeability of the porous medium promotes the oscillatory behavior.