Abstract: In this paper, the viscoelsatic boundary layer flow and the heat transfer near a vertical isothermal impermeable surface and in a quiescent fluid are examined. The governing equations are formulated and solved numerically using MackCormak’s technique. The results show excellent agreement with previously published results by a comparision. Representative results for the velocity and temperature profiles, boundary layer thicknesses, Nusselt numbers, and local skin friction coefficients are shown graphically for different values of viscoelsatic parameters. In general, it is found that the velocities increase inside the hydrodynamic boundary layers and the temperatures decrease inside the thermal boundary layers for the viscoelsatic fluid as compared with the Newtonian fluid due to favorable tensile stresses. Consequently, the coefficients of friction and heat transfer enhance for higher viscoelsatic parameters.

Key words: viscoelastic flows, transient, free convection heat transfer