Creeping flow of micropolar fluid past a porous sphere

Abstract

The creeping flow of incompressible micropolar fluid past a porous sphere with permeability k is studied assuming uniform flow far away from the body. The stream function is determined by matching the solutions of Stokes equations for the flow outside the sphere with that of the Brinkman equations inside the porous sphere. The drag force experienced by the sphere is determined. The variation of drag and the streamline pattern for different values of the permeability parameter (η), the coupling number (N) and the micropolar parameter (m) is studied numerically. It is observed that the drag on the porous sphere, when the fluid is micropolar is more than that of the Newtonian fluid case. The flow pattern depends on the permeability k as in the case of Newtonian fluid and on the coupling number (N) but not on the micropolar parameter (m).