Unsteady Magneto-radiative Flow of Copper-water Nanofluid Over an Exponentially Stretching Surface

Understanding the complex behavior of fluid flows under various physical influences is crucial for advancing engineering and industrial applications. This paper presents the investigation of the unsteady, incompressible, single-phase magneto-radiative flow of a copper-water nanofluid over an exponentially stretching surface, considering the effects of viscous dissipation and temperature-dependent heat sources. This model, proposed in the present analysis, is based on fundamentals of the continuity and Navier–Stokesequations with mass conservation. Further, use of a similarity transformation will reduce the equations to dimensionless form and provide a numerical solution using the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg method. In physics, engineering, and industrial applications, the most interesting parameters are the velocity, temperature, skin friction, and the Nusselt number (Nu). The results of this study are compared with previous works, showing significant agreement with findings under similar conditions. The analysis reveals that both temperature and velocity boundary layer increase when all very specific effects of radiation (R), heat source (Q), copper nanoparticle volume fraction, and magnetic field strength parameter are present. On the other hand, it is found that skin friction increases when considering both copper nanoparticle volume fraction and magnetic field strength parameter, but the Nu decreases if R, Q, copper nanoparticle volume fraction, and magnetic field strength parameter are the factors responsible for that. These outcomes will be further delineated through graphics and be elaborated in engineering and industrial context.