Biomechanics of a Bifurcating Green Plant, Part 1

Abstract

Analytic study of the xylem flow in a bifurcating green plant is presented. The model involves a set of non-linear differential equations, which are tackled using the perturbation method of solutions. Solutions of the velocity, temperature, concentration, Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are obtained and presented graphically. It is observed that increase in the bifurcation angle increases the flow velocity and concentration, Nusselt and Sherwood numbers, whereas the soil parameter (magnetic field force) decreases the velocity and Nusselt number but increases the concentration and Sherwood number. These results have tremendous effect on the growth and yield of the plant. In particular, the increase in the transport velocity and concentration tend to increase the rate at which water and nutrients are made available to the plant, thus enhancing the growth and yield of the plant (crops); the variation in the electrolytic strength of the soil mineral salt water leading to a lower or higher Lorentz force tends to accounts for why some plants do well in some regions than in the others. Furthermore, it is seen that when the angle of bifurcation is zero (i.e.  α =0) and the magnetic field and thermal diffusion parameter are neglected the flow structures reduce to those of [4].