Analysis of Combined Natural Convection and Radiation Heat Transfer Using a Similarity Solution

A similarity solution for laminar boundary layer in a buoyancy induced flow over an isothermal, vertical wall in the presence of radiation is developed. Radiation heat transfer is taken into account by application of the Rosseland approximation in the energy conservation equation. The family of similarity solutions to the governing equations is presented. The computed results show that thermal and momentum boundary layer thickness values are increased as a result of radiation heat transfer. Furthermore for higher values of the radiation parameter, the maximum velocity inside the boundary layer increases.