On Similarity Solutions for Three Dimensional Flow of Second Order Fluids

The existence of similarity solutions for the steady three-dimensional boundary layer flow of a viscoelastic fluid has been investigated. It has been shown that similarity solutions exist for two mainstream flow patterns which correspond to the flow near a stagnation point. The non-linear boundary value problem governing one of these stagnation point flows has been solved numerically combined with a perturbation approach. It is found that the effects of non-Newtonian parameters are to increase the velocity in the boundary layer. Some relevant particular cases have also been discussed.