PERISTALTIC FLOW OF COUPLE-STRESS CONDUCTING FLUIDS THROUGH A POROUS CHANNEL: APPLICATIONS TO BLOOD FLOW IN THE MICRO-CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

The present investigation is devoted to study a theoretical investigation of the peristaltic flow of a couple-stress conducting fluids in a porous channel under the influence of slip boundary condition. This study is applicable to the physiological flow of blood in the micro-circulatory system, by taking account of the particle size effect. The expressions for axial velocity, pressure gradient, stream function, frictional force and mechanical efficiency are obtained under the small Reynolds number and the large wavelength approximations. Effects of different physical parameters reflecting permeability parameter, couple-stress parameter, Hartmann number as well as amplitude ratio on pumping characteristics, frictional force, mechanical efficiency and trapping of peristaltic flow pattern are studied. The computational and numerical results are presented in graphical form. On the basis of our discussion, it is concluded that pressure reduces by increasing the magnitude of couple-stress parameter, permeability parameter, slip parameter, whereas it enhances by increasing the magnitude of magnetic field and amplitude ratio.