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International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 35 (2008) 710 – 715

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Application of Optimal Homotopy Asymptotic Method for solving nonlinear

equations arising in heat transfer ☆
Vasile Marinca ⁎, Nicolae Herişanu
Department of Mechanics and Vibration, Politehnica University of Timişoara, 300222 Timişoara, Romania

Available online 3 April 2008

Abstract

We consider one of the newest analytical methods, the Optimal Homotopy Asymptotic Method (OHAM), to solve nonlinear equations arising
in heat transfer. Two specific applications are considered: cooling of a lumped system with variable specific heat and the temperature distribution
equation in a thick rectangular fin radiation to free space. Results obtained by OHAM, which does not need small parameters are compared with
numerical results and a very good agreement was found. This method provides us with a convenient way to control the convergence of
approximation series and adjust convergence regions when necessary. The results reveal that the proposed method is explicit, effective and easy to
use.
© 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Optimal Homotopy Asymptotic Method (OHAM); Fin radiation; Heat transfer

1. Introduction perturbation approximations but also the validity of the

Most engineering problems such as heat transfer are
inherently of nonlinearity. Except a limited number of these
problems, most of them cannot be analytically solved using
traditional methods. Therefore, these nonlinear equations should
be solved using other methods. Some of them are solved using
numerical techniques and some are solved using the analytical
method of perturbation. In the analytical perturbation method,
we should exert the small parameter and exerting it into the
equation is the difficulty of this method. Nayfeh [1] has
presented an account of various perturbation techniques,
pointing out their similarities, differences and advantages, as
well as their limitations. The most representative perturbation
methods used in nonlinear equations are the Lindstedt–Poincare
method, the method of multiple scales and the KBM method.
The small parameter plays a very important role in the per-
turbation method. It determines not only the accuracy of the
☆
Communicated by W.J. Minkowycz.
⁎ Corresponding author. Department of Mechanics and Vibration, Politehnica
University of Timişoara, Bd.M. Viteazu, nr.1, 300222 Timişoara, Romania.
E-mail addresses: vmarinca@mec.upt.ro (V. Marinca),
herisanu@mec.upt.ro (N. Herişanu).
0735-1933/$ - see front matter © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2008.02.010
perturbation method itself. Therefore, it is the small parameter
that greatly restricts the application of the perturbation method.
However, in science and engineering, there exist many nonlinear
problems which do not contain any small parameter, especially
those with strong nonlinearity. Thus it is necessary to develop
and improve some nonlinear analytical techniques which are
independent of small parameters. Various powerful mathema-
tical methods have been recently introduced to eliminate the
small parameter, such as artificial parameter method introduced
by He [2], tanh method [3], Jacobi elliptic function method [4],
Adomian decomposition method [5], homotopy perturbation
method [6] and modified homotopy perturbation method [7],
homotopy analysis method [8], variational methods [9] and
iteration perturbation method [10]. The applications of these
methods in different fields such as fluid mechanics, heat transfer
and heat radiation have been studied by Abbasbandy [11,12],
Rajabi et al [13], Ganji [14], Ganji et al [15,16], Domairry and
Nadim [17].
The motivation of this paper is to extend homotopy per-
turbation method and homotopy analysis method to solve
nonlinear equations arising in heat transfer. The OHAM is useful
to obtain an approximate solution of nonlinear differential equa-
tions. The results of OHAM are compared with exact solution for
 V. Marinca, N. Herişanu / International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 35 (2008) 710–715 711

m
different values of constants. This method provides us with a where Nm(u0(x), u1(x),…, um(x)) is the coefficient of p , ob-
convenient way to control the convergence of approximation tained expanding N(/(x, p, Ci)) in series with respect to the
series. The OHAM is valid not only for small parameter, and embedding parameter p:
shows its validity and great potential for solve nonlinear problems
in science and engineering. N ð/ð x; p; Ci ÞÞ ¼ N0 ðu0 ð xÞÞ
X
þ Nm ðu0 ; u1 ; :::; um Þpm ; i ¼ 1; 2; N
2. Basic idea of OHAM mz1
ð9Þ
We apply the OHAM to the following differential equation:

 where /(x, p, Ci) is given by Eq. (6).
du
Lðuð xÞÞ þ gð xÞ þ N ðuð xÞÞ ¼ 0; B u; ¼0 ð1Þ It should be emphasized that uk for k ≥ 0 are governed by the
dx linear Eqs. (4), (7), (8) with the linear boundary conditions that
where L is a linear operator, x denotes independent variable, u(x) come from original problem, which can be easily solved.
is an unknown function, g(x) is a known function, N(u(x)) is a The convergence of the series (6) depends upon the auxiliary
nonlinear operator and B is a boundary operator. constants C1, C2,.… If it is convergent at p = 1, one has
By means of OHAM one first constructs a family of equation X
[6–8]: uð x; Ci Þ ¼ u0 ð xÞ þ uk ð x; Ci Þ: ð10Þ
kz1

ð1  pÞ½Lð/ð x; pÞÞ þ g ð xÞ ð2Þ Generally speaking, the solution of Eq. (1) can be determined
approximately in the form:
¼ H ð pÞ½Lð/ð x; pÞÞ þ gð xÞ þ N ð/ð x; pÞÞ;

 X
m
A/ð x; pÞ ðmÞ
B /ð x; pÞ; ¼0 u ð x; Ci Þ ¼ u0 ð xÞ þ uk ð x; Ci Þ; i ¼ 1; 2; N m: ð11Þ
Ax k¼1

where p ∈ [0,1] is an embedding parameter, H(p) is a nonzero Substituting Eq. (11) into Eq. (1) it results the following residual
auxiliary function for p ≠ 0 and H(0) = 0, ϕ(x,p) is an unknown


function, respectively. Obviously, when p = 0 and p = 1 it holds ðmÞ ðmÞ
Rð x; Ci Þ ¼ L u ð x; Ci Þ þ gð xÞ þ N u ð x; Ci Þ ; i ¼ 1; 2; N m:
/ð x; 0Þ ¼ u0 ð xÞ; /ð x; 1Þ ¼ uð xÞ ð3Þ
ð12Þ
respectively. Thus, as p increases from 0 to 1, the solution ϕ(x,p) ðmÞ
varies from u0(x) to the solution u(x), where u0(x) is obtained If R(x, Ci) = 0 then u ð x; Ci Þ happens to be the exact solution.
from Eq. (2) for p = 0: Generally such case will not arise for nonlinear problems, but we

 can minimize the functional
du0
Lðu0 ð xÞÞ þ g ð xÞ ¼ 0; B u0 ; ¼ 0: ð4Þ Z b
dx
J ðCi Þ ¼ R2 ð x; Ci Þdx ð13Þ
We choose auxiliary function H(p) in the form a
where a and b are two values, depending on the given problem.
H ð pÞ ¼ pC1 þ p2 C2 þ ::: ð5Þ The unknown constants Ci (i = 1,2,…m) can be optimally iden-
where C1, C2, … are constants which can be determined latter. tified from the conditions
Let us consider the solution of Eq. (2) in the form AJ AJ AJ
X ¼ ¼ ::: ¼ ¼ 0: ð14Þ
/ð x; p; Ci Þ ¼ u0 ð xÞ þ uk ð x; Ci Þpk ; i ¼ 1; 2; :::: ð6Þ AC1 AC2 ACm
kz1
With these constants known, the approximate solution (of
Now substituting Eq. (6) into Eq. (2) and equating the coeffi- order m) (11) is well-determined. The constants Ci can be
cients of like powers of p, we obtain the governing equation of determined in another forms, for example, if ki ∈ (a,b), i = 1,2,…
u0(x), given by Eq. (4), and the governing equation of uk(x), i.e. m and substituting ki into Eq. (12), we obtain the equation


du1 Rðk1 ; Ci Þ ¼ Rðk2 ; Ci Þ ¼ ::: ¼ Rðkm ; Ci Þ ¼ 0; i ¼ 1; 2; N m:
Lðu1 ð xÞÞ ¼ C1 N0 ðu0 ð xÞÞ; B u1 ; ¼0 ð7Þ
dx ð15Þ

It is easy to observe that so-called Homotopy Perturbation

Lðuk ð xÞ  uk1 ð xÞÞ ¼ Ck N0 ðu0 ð xÞÞ þ Method (HPM) proposed by He [2,6] is a special case of Eq. (2)
X
k 1 when H(p) = − p, and on the other hand, the Homotopy Analysis
þ Ci ½Lðuki ð xÞÞ þ Nki ðu0 ð xÞ; u1 ð xÞ; :::; uk1 ð xÞÞ; Method (HAM) proposed by Liao [8] is another special case of
ð8Þ
i¼1

 Eq. (2) when H(p) = pħ (where the parameter ħ is chosen from
duk so-called “ ħ-curves ”). An important feature of the OHAM is
k ¼ 2; 3; :::; B uk ; ¼0
dx that using Eq. (14)), a minimization of errors is obtained.
712 V. Marinca, N. Herişanu / International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 35 (2008) 710–715

3. Applications and

3.1. Cooling of a lumped system with variable specific heat 

u3Vð xÞ þ u3 ð xÞ ¼ ð2e3 þ 4e2  eÞC13 þ ð4e2  2eÞC12
Consider the cooling of a lumped system [11,13]. Let the þð4e2  2eÞC1 C2  eC1  eC2  eC3 e2x þ
  ð26Þ
system have volume V, surface area A, density ρ, specific heat c þ ð9e3  6e2 ÞC13  6e2 C12  6e2 C1 C2 e3x
and initial temperature Ti. At time t = 0, the system is exposed to 8e3 C13 e4x ; u3 ð0Þ ¼ 0
a convective environment at temperature Ta with convective
heat transfer coefficient h. Assume that the specific heat c is a which have the solution
linear function of temperature of the form

c ¼ ca ½1 þ bðT  Ta Þ ð16Þ u3 ð xÞ ¼  ð8e3 þ 8e2 þ eÞC13 þ ð8e2 þ 2eÞC12
þð8e2 þ 2eÞC1 C2 þ eC1 þ eC2 þ eC3 ex þ
where ca is the specific heat, at temperature Ta and β is a 
constant. The cooling equation and the initial conditions are as þ ð2e3  4e2 þ eÞC13 þ ð2e  4e2 ÞC12
ð27Þ
follows: þð2e  4e2 ÞC1 C2 þ eC1 þ eC2 þ eC3 e2x þ
 
dT þ ð12e2  18e3 ÞC13 þ 12e2 C12 þ 12e2 C1 C2 e3x
qVc þ hAðT  Ta Þ ¼ 0; T0 ¼ T i ð17Þ þ24e3 C13 e4x
dt
where by using The approximate solution of this third order is obtained from
Eqs. (21), (23), (25), (27) and (11) for m = 3:
T  Ta t ðhAÞ
u¼ ; x¼ ; e ¼ bðT  Ta Þ
Ti  Ta qVca ð3Þ
u ð x Þ ¼ u0 ð x Þ þ u1 ð x Þ þ u2 ð x Þ þ u3 ð x Þ
we have
and we obtain:
du
ð1 þ euÞ þ u ¼ 0; uð0Þ ¼ 1; xa½0; l: ð18Þ
dx ð3Þ
u ð xÞ ¼ A1 ex þ A2 e2x þ A3 e3x þ A4 e4x ð28Þ
According to Eq. (1) we have:
where
Lðuð xÞÞ ¼ u0 ð xÞ þ uð xÞ; gð xÞ ¼ 0; N ð uð x Þ Þ

¼ euð xÞu0 ð xÞ; uð0Þ ¼ 1 ð19Þ 15
A1 ¼ 1  3eC1  2eC2  eC3  3e þ e2 C12
2
where 0 ¼ dx
d
. Eq. (4) becomes (zeroth-order problem): ð2e þ 8e2 ÞC1 C2  ðe þ 8e2 þ 8e3 ÞC13
u0Vð xÞ þ u0 ð xÞ ¼ 0; u0 ð 0Þ ¼ 1 ð20Þ A2 ¼ 3eC1 þ 2eC2 þ eC3 þ ð3e  6e2 ÞC12 þ ð2e  4e2 ÞC1 C2
ð29Þ
from which we obtain þðe  4e2 þ 2e3 ÞC13
27  
u0 ð xÞ ¼ ex : ð21Þ A3 ¼ e2 C12 þ 12e2 C1 C2 þ 12e2  18e3 C13
2
Substituting Eq. (21) into Eq. (7) we get ( first-order A4 ¼ 24e3 C13 :
problem):
The residual Eq. (12) for m = 3 is obtained in the form:
u1Vð xÞ þ u1 ð xÞ ¼ eC1 e2x ; u1 ð 0Þ ¼ 0 ð22Þ
 
and therefore Rð x; C1 ; C2 ; C3 Þ ¼ A2 þ eA21 e2x þ ð2A3 þ 3eA1 A2 Þe3x
 
  þ 3A4 þ 2eA22 þ 4eA1 A3 e4x þ
u1 ð xÞ ¼ eC1 e2x  ex : ð23Þ   ð30Þ
þ5eðA1 A4 þ A2 A3 Þe5x þ 3e A23 þ 2A2 A4 e6x
For k = 2 and k = 3 into Eq. (8) we have respectively: þ7eA3 A4 e7x þ 4eA24 e8x :
 2  
u2Vð xÞ þ u2 ð xÞ ¼ 2e  e C12  eC1  eC2 e2x For x = 1,2,3 into Eq. (30) we obtain the approximate
 3e2 C12 e3x ; u2 ð0Þ ¼ 0 ð24Þ solution of the third order for ε = 1 and ε = 2 respectively (see
Eq. (15)).
with the solution
ð3Þ

 u ð xÞ ¼ 2:666660ex  4e2x þ 3e3x  0:6666666e4x
e 2
u2 ð x Þ ¼  e C1  eC1  eC2 ex
2
ð31Þ
2
   3
þ e  2e2 C12 þ eC1 þ eC2 e2x þ e2 C12 e3x ð3Þ
2 u ð xÞ ¼ 4:460824085ex  11:54898853e2x
ð25Þ þ 14:65491942e3x  6:566754975e4x : ð32Þ
 V. Marinca, N. Herişanu / International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 35 (2008) 710–715 713

First-order problem given by Eq. (7):

uW1 ð xÞ ¼ eC1 uW0 ð xÞ; u1 ð1Þ ¼ 0; u1Vð0Þ ¼ 0 ð37Þ
with the solution
1  
u1 ð xÞ ¼  eC1 x2  1 : ð38Þ
2
Second-order problem given by Eq. (8), k = 2:
   
uW2 ð xÞ  uW1 ð xÞ ¼ C1 uW1 ð xÞ  4eu30 ð xÞu1 ð xÞ þ C2 eu40 ;
u2 ð1Þ ¼ 0; u2Vð0Þ ¼ 0 ð39Þ

and we obtain the following solution:

1  2  
u2 ð x Þ ¼ 5e þ 3e C12 þ 3eC1 þ 3eC2
6
1  2   1
 2e þ e C12 þ eC1 þ eC2 x2 þ e2 C12 x4 ð40Þ
2 6
Third-order problem given by Eq. (8), k = 3:
 
uW ð xÞ  uW ð xÞ ¼ C1 uW2 ð xÞe 6u20 ð xÞd u21 ð xÞ
3 2 
þ4u30 ð xÞd u2 ð xÞÞ þ C2 uW ð xÞ
 14  ð41Þ
4eu0 ð xÞu1 ð xÞ þ C3 eu0 ð xÞ ;
3

u3 ð1Þ ¼ 0; u3Vð0Þ ¼ 0
The solution of Eq. (41) becomes:
1  
u3 ð x Þ ¼ 432e2 C13 þ 89e2 C12 þ 300e2 C1 C2
180
1 
þ 7eC13 þ 14eC12  5eC1 C2 þ 7eC1 þ 7eC2
24
1  2   
Fig. 1. Comparison between the results obtained by the present method for 12eC3   36e þ 3e C13 þ 7e2 þ 6e C12
12
Eq. (18), and the numerical results, for two cases: a) ε = 1; b) ε = 2; -+-+-+-+-  
Present method ________ Numerical method. þ 24e2  3e C1 C2 þ 3eC1 þ 3eC2  6eC3 x2 ð42Þ
1  2   
Fig. 1 shows the comparison between the present solution þ 16e  e C13 þ 2e2  2e C12
and the numerical integration results obtained by a fourth order 24
Runge–Kutta method, for cases ε = 1 and ε = 2, respectively.  2 
þ 8e  e C1 C2  eC1  eC2 x4
It can be seen from Fig. 1 that the solution obtained by the present
method is nearly identical with that given by numerical simulation. 1 2 2 
þ e C1  12e3 C13 x6
180
3.2. The temperature distribution equation in a thick rectangular Finally, the approximate solution of the third-order of Eq. (33)
fin radiation to free space is given by
ð3Þ
Now we will consider a nonlinear equation, the temperature u ð xÞ ¼ B0 þ B2 x2 þ B4 x4 þ B6 x6 ð43Þ
distribution equation in a uniformly thick rectangular fin radiation
where
to free space with non-linearity of high order [11,13]:
1  
uqð xÞ  eu4 ð xÞ ¼ 0; uð1Þ ¼ 1; u0 ð0Þ ¼ 0; xa½0; 1: B0 ¼ 432e2 C13 þ 89e2 C12 þ 300e2 C1 C2
180
ð33Þ 1  
þ 7eC13 þ 26eC12  5eC1 C2 þ 31eC1 þ 31eC2  12eC3 þ 24
24
According to Eq. (1), we define the operators: 1  2   
B2 ¼  36e þ 3e C13 þ 19e2 þ 12e C12
12 
Lðuð xÞÞ ¼ uqð xÞ; gð xÞ ¼ 0; N ðuð xÞÞ ¼ eu4 ð xÞ: ð34Þ ð44Þ
þ 24e2  3e C1 C2 þ 15eC1 þ 15eC2  6eC3 
Zeroth-order problem given by Eq. (4): 1  2  3  2  2  2 
B4 ¼ 16e  e C1 þ 6e  2e C1 þ 8e  e C1 C2
uW0 ð xÞ ¼ 0; uð1Þ ¼ 1; uVð0Þ ¼ 0 ð35Þ 24
eC1  eC2 
It is obtained:
1 2 2 
u0 ð xÞ ¼ 1: ð36Þ B6 ¼ e C1  12e3 C13 :
180
714 V. Marinca, N. Herişanu / International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 35 (2008) 710–715
Fig. 2. Comparison between the results obtained by the present method for Eq. (33)
and the numerical results, for three cases: a) ε = 1; b) ε = 2; c) ε = 3. -+-+-+-+-
Present method ________ Numerical method.
From Eq. (12) for x ¼ 13 ; 12 ; 34 we obtain the following
approximate solution of the third order for different values of ε:
ð 3Þ
e ¼ 1 : u ð xÞ ¼ 0:775052997 þ 0:204645365x2
þ 0:020278343x4 þ 0:000023293x6
ð3Þ
e ¼ 2 : u ð xÞ ¼ 0:698299431 þ 0:282644054x2
þ 0:019027065x4 þ 0:000029291x6 ð46Þ
ð3Þ
e ¼ 3 : u ð xÞ ¼ 0:654819681 þ 0:325418252x2
þ 0:019710533x4 þ 0:000051532x6 : ð47Þ
Fig. 2 shows, the comparison between the results obtained by
the present solution and the numerical integration results.
The obtained results are nearly identical with the results
obtained numerically using a fourth order Runge Kutta method,
for the cases ε = 1, ε = 2 and ε = 3.
4. Conclusions
In this paper, a new technique is proposed to solve nonlinear
equations arising in heat transfer. Two applications are consid-
ered: cooling of a lumped system with variable specific heat and
the temperature distribution equation in a thick rectangular fin
radiation to free space. This procedure is explicit, effective and
has a distinct advantage over usual approximation methods in that
the approximate solutions obtained here are valid not only for
weakly nonlinear equations but also for strongly nonlinear ones.
Convergence and error are remarkable and this method provides
us with a convenient way to control the convergence of
approximation series and adjust convergence regions.
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