BILKENT UNIVERSITY

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

ME 630: ADVANCED HEAT TRANSFER

Ch 2. FINS

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 1 / 34

 Heat Transfer with Extended Surfaces
Fins or extended surfaces are used to increase the effective surface area available for the
heat transfer and therefore increase the rate of heat transfer from a surface by convection of
radiation.

How can we increase heat transfer rate?

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 2 / 34

 Heat Transfer with Extended Surfaces
Application of fins include car radiators, finned evaporators, condensers in air conditioning units.
Fins are used with all modes of heat transfer (natural, forced convection, boiling and
condensation) and many types of fluids
Add fins àincrease heat transfer à increase pumping power
Many different fin shapes are possible
When considering the use of fins, the choice of the number of fins, spacing, length, thickness,
shape material will depend on both heat transfer and fluid flow considerations.
Manufacturing, maintenance and operating costs must also be considered in fin design

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 3 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Constant Area
Let’s analyze heat transfer from a simple fin.

Flow Flow
h, T1 h, T1
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Assumptions:
1. h is uniform over the fin surface
2. T does not vary across the fin (1D heat conduction) How can we verify?
3. kfin constant
4. No internal heat generation
5. Shape is constant over the length of the fin
6. Steady conduction

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 4 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Constant Area

Flow
h, T1
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 1D Fin Analysis: Constant Area
T T1
define ✓(x) =
Tb
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T1

characteristic equation

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 6 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Constant Area

Total heat transfer from the fin:

OR consider the whole fin as the system:

Q̇act,f in
define fin efficiency: ⌘f =
Q̇ideal,f in

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 7 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Infinitely Long

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 8 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Infinitely Long

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 9 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Variable Area
d # ∂T & dAs
General form: % kAx (− h (T − T∞ ) = 0.
dx $ ∂x ' dx
Ax = A = const
For constant area: dA d2 T hP
s
=p (T TT1
f) = 0
dx2 kAx
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€ dx

dAx dy 1 dAx 1 dy
Ax = 2yW = 2W =
dAs dx dx Ax dx y dx
W
Ds x x
Dy 2 2
x
" dy %2
Dx
€
As = ∫ pds = ∫ p (dx) + (dy) As = ∫ p 1 + $ ' dx
# dx &
0 €0 € 0

dAs " dy %2 d 2T 1 dy dT h 1 # dy &2

= p 1+€$ ' 2
+ − p 1+ % ( (T − T ∞ ) = 0
dx # dx & dx €
y dx dx k 2yW $ dx '

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 10 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Variable Area
Straight fin which has a triangular profile: y

2b
x
L

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 11 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Variable Area
y

2b
x
L

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 12 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Variable Area
y

2b
x
L

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 13 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Annular Fin
d 2T 1 dAr dT h 1 dAs
2
+ − (T − T∞ ) = 0
dr Ar dr dr k Ar dr

r1 r
r2

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 14 / 34

 1D Fin Analysis: Annular Fin

ME630: Advanced Heat Transfer | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin 15 / 34