The effect of vertical throughflow on the boundary layer flow of a nanofluid past a stretching/shrinking sheet

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of vertical throughflow on the boundary layer flow and heat transfer of a nanofluid driven by a permeable stretching/shrinking surface. Design/methodology/approach Similarity transformation is used to convert the system of boundary layer equations into a system of ordinary differential equations. The system of governing similarity equations is then reduced to a system of first-order differential equations and solved numerically using the bvp4c function in Matlab software. The generated numerical results are presented graphically and discussed based on some governing parameters. Findings It is found that dual solutions exist in both cases of stretching and shrinking sheet situations. Stability analysis is performed to determine which solution is stable and valid physically. Originality/value Dual solutions are found for positive and negative values of the moving parameter. A stability analysis has also been performed to show that the first (upper branch) solutions are stable and physically realizable, while the second (lower branch) solutions are not stable and, therefore, not physically possible.