One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction

Heat Transfer from Extended Surfaces

• The term extended surface is commonly used to depict the important special
case involving heat transfer by conduction within a solid and heat transfer by
convection (and/or) radiation from the boundaries of the solid.

• Until now, we have considered heat transfer from the boundaries of a solid to be
in the same direction as heat transfer by conduction in the solid. In contrast, for
an extended surface, the direction of heat transfer from the boundaries is
perpendicular to the principal direction of heat transfer in the solid.

• Consider a strut that connects two walls at

different temperature and across which there
is fluid flow (figure 1).

• With 𝑻𝟏 > 𝑻𝟐 , temperature gradients in the x-

direction sustain heat transfer by conduction
in the strut.
Figure 1
Lecture 3, Heat and Mass Transfer, Power Engineering - Year 4, Dr. Khaled Esteifi , 2013-2014 1
 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Heat Transfer from Extended Surfaces
• However, with 𝑻𝟏 > 𝑻𝟐 > 𝑻∞ , there is concurrent heat transfer by convection to
the fluid, causing 𝒒𝒙 , and hence the magnitude of temperature gradient,
𝒅𝑻Τ𝒅𝒙 , to decrease with increasing x.

• Although there are many different situations that involve such combined
conduction-convection effect, the most frequent application is one in which an
extended surface is used specially to enhance heat transfer between a solid and
an adjoining fluid. Such an extended surface is termed a fin.

• Consider the plane wall of figure 2. The

rate of heat transfer from the surface at a
temperature 𝑻𝒔 to the surrounding
medium at 𝑻∞ is given by Newton’s law
of cooling as

𝒒 = 𝒉𝑨 𝑻𝒔 − 𝑻∞ (𝟏)
Figure 2
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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Heat Transfer from Extended Surfaces
• When the temperatures 𝑻𝒔 and 𝑻∞ are fixed by design consideration, as is often
the case, there are two ways to increase the rate of heat transfer: to increase the
convection heat transfer coefficient 𝒉 or to increase the surface area 𝑨.

• Increasing 𝒉 may require installation of a pump or fan, or replacing the existing

one with a larger one, but this approach may or may not be practical. Besides, it
may not be adequate.

• The alternative is to increase surface area by employing fins that extended from
the wall into the surrounding fluid (see figure 2). Fins enhance heat transfer from
a surface by exposing a larger surface area to convection and radiation.

• Ideally, the fin is made of highly conductive materials to minimize temperature

variations from its base to its tip. In the limit of infinite thermal conductivity, the
entire fin would be at the temperature of the base surface, thereby providing the
maximum possible heat transfer enhancement.

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Heat Transfer from Extended Surfaces
• Examples of fin application are easy to find. The car
radiator and finned tubes in heat exchangers are
examples (see figure 3).

• Finned surfaces are manufactured by extruding, welding,

or wrapping a thin metal sheet on a surface.
Figure 3
• Different fin configurations are illustrated in figure 4.
➢ A straight fin is any extended surface that is
attached to plane wall. It may be of uniform or
nonuniform cross-sectional area.
➢ An annular fine is one that is circumferentially
attached to the cylinder, and its cross sectional
varies with radius from the wall of the cylinder.
➢ A pin fine, or spine, is an extended surface of
circular cross section. Pin fins may also have uniform
or nonuniform cross section. Figure 4

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Heat Transfer from Extended Surfaces
• In any application, selection of a particular fin configuration may depend on
space, weight, manufacturing, and cost considerations, as well as on the extent
to which the fines reduce the surface convection coefficient and increase the
pressure drop associated with flow over the fins.

• We must recognize, that the convection heat transfer coefficient 𝒉, in general

varies along the fin as well as its circumference, and its value at a point is a
strong function of fluid motion at that point.

• The value of 𝒉 is usually much lower at the fine base than it is at fin tip because
the fluid is surrounded by solid surfaces near the base, which seriously disturb its
motion, while the fluid near the tip has little contact with a solid surface and
thus encounters little resistance to flow.

• Therefor, adding too many fins on a surface may actually decrease the overall
heat transfer when the decrease in 𝒉 offsets any gain resulting from the increase
in the surface area.

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
A general Conduction Analysis
• As engineers we are primary interested in knowing the extent to which particular
extended surface or fin arrangement could improve heat transfer from a surface
to the surrounding fluid.

• To determine the heat transfer rate associated with a fin, we must first obtain
the temperature distribution along the fin. As we have done for previous
systems, we begin by performing an energy balance on an appropriate
differential element.

• The following assumptions are made to simplify the analysis:

➢ One-dimensional conditions in the longitudinal (𝒙) direction. Studies have
shown that the error involved in one-dimensional fin analysis is negligible
when 𝒉𝜹Τ𝒌 < 𝟎. 𝟐, where 𝜹 is the characteristic thickness of the fin.
➢ Steady-state conditions.
➢ The thermal conductivity is constant, the radiation from the surface is
negligible, the heat generation effects are absent, and the convection heat
transfer coefficient 𝒉 is uniform over the surface.

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
A general Conduction Analysis
• Consider the extended surface of figure 5.
Applying the conservation of energy
requirement to the differential element of
figure 5, we obtain

𝒒𝒙 = 𝒒𝒙+𝒅𝒙 + 𝒅𝒒𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗 (𝟐)

Figure 5
• From Fourier’s law we know that

𝒅𝑻
𝒒𝒙 = −𝒌𝑨𝒄 (𝟑)
𝒅𝒙
where 𝑨𝒄 is the cross-sectional area, which may vary with 𝒙.

• The conduction heat transfer 𝒒𝒙+𝒅𝒙 may be expressed as

𝒅𝒒𝒙
𝒒𝒙+𝒅𝒙 = 𝒒𝒙 + 𝒅𝒙 (𝟒)
𝒅𝒙
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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
A general Conduction Analysis
• The conduction heat transfer 𝒒𝒙+𝒅𝒙 may be expressed as

𝒅𝑻 𝒅 𝒅𝑻
𝒒𝒙+𝒅𝒙 = −𝒌𝑨𝒄 −𝒌 𝑨 𝒅𝒙 (𝟓)
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙 𝒄 𝒅𝒙

• The convection heat transfer rate may be expressed as

𝒅𝒒𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗 = 𝒉𝒅𝑨𝒔 𝑻 − 𝑻∞ (𝟔)

where 𝒅𝑨𝒔 is the surface area of the differential element.

• Substituting the foregoing rate equations into the energy balance, Equation 2,
we obtain
𝒅𝑻 𝒅𝑻 𝒅 𝒅𝑻
−𝒌𝑨𝒄 = −𝒌𝑨𝒄 −𝒌 𝑨 𝒅𝒙 + 𝒉𝒅𝑨𝒔 𝑻 − 𝑻∞ (𝟕)
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙 𝒄 𝒅𝒙

• Rearranging equation 7, we get

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
A general Conduction Analysis
𝒅 𝒅𝑻 𝒉 𝒅𝑨𝒔
𝑨𝒄 − 𝑻 − 𝑻∞ = 𝟎 (𝟖)
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙 𝒌 𝒅𝒙
• Or
𝒅𝟐 𝑻 𝟏 𝒅𝑨𝒄 𝒅𝑻 𝟏 𝒉 𝒅𝑨𝒔
+ − 𝑻 − 𝑻∞ = 𝟎 (𝟗)
𝒅𝒙𝟐 𝑨𝒄 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙 𝑨𝒄 𝒌 𝒅𝒙

• This result provides a general form of the energy equation for an extended
surface .

• Its solution for appropriate boundary conditions provides the temperature

distribution, which may be used with equation 3 to calculate conduction rate at
any 𝒙.

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Fins of Uniform Cross-Sectional Area
• To solve equation 9 it is necessary to
be more specific about the
geometry.

• We begin with the simplest case of

straight rectangular and pin fins of
uniform cross section (Figure 6).
Figure 6
• Each fin is attached to a base surface
of temperature 𝐓(𝟎) = 𝑻𝒃 and extends into a fluid of temperature 𝑻∞ .

• For the prescribed fins, 𝑨𝒄 is a constant, and 𝑨𝒔 = 𝑷𝒙 (where 𝑨𝒔 is the surface

area measured from the base to 𝒙 and 𝑷 is the fin perimeter). Accordingly, with
𝒅𝑨𝒄 Τ𝒅𝒙 = 𝟎 and 𝒅𝑨𝒔 Τ𝒅𝒙 = 𝑷, equation 9 reduces to

𝒅𝟐 𝑻 𝒉𝑷
− 𝑻 − 𝑻∞ = 𝟎 (𝟏𝟎)
𝒅𝒙𝟐 𝒌𝑨𝒄
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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Fins of Uniform Cross-Sectional Area
• To simplify the form of this equation, we transform the dependent variable by
defining an excess temperature 𝜽 as

𝜽 𝒙 = 𝑻 𝒙 − 𝑻∞ (𝟏𝟏)

• Since 𝑻∞ is a constant, 𝒅𝜽Τ𝒅𝒙 = 𝒅𝑻Τ𝒅𝒙. Substituting equation 11 into equation

10, we then obtain
𝒅𝟐 𝜽 𝟐𝜽 = 𝟎
− 𝒎 (𝟏𝟐)
𝒅𝒙𝟐
where
𝟐
𝒉𝑷
𝒎 = (𝟏𝟑)
𝒌𝑨𝒄

• Equation 12 is a linear, homogeneous, second-order differential equation with

constant coefficient. Its general solution is of the form

𝜽 𝒙 = 𝑪𝟏 𝒆𝒎𝒙 + 𝑪𝟐 𝒆−𝒎𝒙 (𝟏𝟒)

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Fins of Uniform Cross-Sectional Area
• To evaluate the constants 𝑪𝟏 and 𝑪𝟐 , it is necessary to specify appropriate
boundary conditions.

• One such condition may be specified in terms of the temperature at the base of
the fin (𝒙 = 𝟎)
𝜽 𝟎 = 𝜽𝒃 = 𝑻 𝒃 − 𝑻∞ (𝟏𝟓)

• The second condition, specified at the fin tip (𝒙 = 𝑳), my corresponded to one of
four different situations.

1. The first condition, Case A, considers

convection heat transfer from the fin tip.
Applying an energy balance to a control
surface about this tip (figure 7), we obtain

Figure 7
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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Fins of Uniform Cross-Sectional Area
• That is
𝒅𝑻
𝒉𝑨𝒄 𝑻 𝑳 − 𝑻∞ = −𝒌𝑨𝒄 ቤ (𝟏𝟔)
𝒅𝒙 𝒙=𝑳
• Or
𝒅𝜽
𝒉𝜽 𝑳 = −𝒌 ቤ (𝟏𝟕)
𝒅𝒙 𝒙=𝑳

• Substituting equation 14 into equations 15 and 17, we obtain, respectively,

𝜽𝒃 = 𝑪𝟏 + 𝑪𝟐 (𝟏𝟖)
and

𝒉 𝑪𝟏 𝒆𝒎𝑳 + 𝑪𝟐 𝒆−𝒎𝑳 = 𝒌𝒎 𝑪𝟐 𝒆−𝒎𝑳 − 𝑪𝟏 𝒆𝒎𝑳 (𝟏𝟗)

• Solving for 𝑪𝟏 and 𝑪𝟐 , it may be shown, after some manipulation, that

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Fins of Uniform Cross-Sectional Area
𝜽 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒎 𝑳 − 𝒙 + 𝒉Τ𝒎𝒌 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒎 𝑳 − 𝒙
= (𝟐𝟎)
𝜽𝒃 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒎𝑳 + 𝒉Τ𝒎𝒌 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒎𝑳

• The form of this temperature distribution is shown schematically in figure 7.

Note that the magnitude of the temperature gradient decreases with increasing
x. this trend is a consequence of the reduction in the conduction heat transfer
𝒒𝒙 (𝒙) with increasing 𝒙 due to continuous convection losses from the fin
surface.

• The amount of heat transferred from the entire fin, 𝒒𝒇 may be evaluated by
applying Fourier’s law at the fin base. That is,

𝒅𝑻 𝒅𝜽
𝒒𝒇 = 𝒒𝒃 = −𝒌𝑨𝒄 ቤ = −𝒌𝑨𝒄 ቤ (𝟐𝟏)
𝒅𝒙 𝒙=𝟎 𝒅𝒙 𝒙=𝟎

• Hence, knowing the temperature distribution, 𝜽(𝒙), 𝒒𝒇 may be evaluated, giving

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Fins of Uniform Cross-Sectional Area
𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒎𝑳 + 𝒉Τ𝒎𝒌 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒎𝑳
𝒒𝒇 = 𝒉𝑷𝒌𝑨𝒄 𝜽𝒃 (𝟐𝟐)
𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒎𝑳 + 𝒉Τ𝒎𝒌 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒎𝑳

• Note that rate of heat transfer from the entire fins 𝒒𝒇 may also be evaluated by
applying conservation of energy, which dictates that

• Or Figure 8

𝒒𝒇 = න 𝒉 𝑻 𝒙 − 𝑻∞ 𝒅𝑨𝒔 = න 𝒉𝜽 𝒙 𝒅𝑨𝒔 (𝟐𝟑)

𝑨𝒇 𝑨𝒇

where 𝑨𝒇 is the total, including the tip, fin surface area.

• Substituting equation 20 into equation 23 would yield equation 22.

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Fins of Uniform Cross-Sectional Area
2. The second tip condition, Case B, corresponds to the assumption that the
convective heat loss from the tip is negligible, in which case the tip may be
treated as adiabatic and
𝒅𝜽
ቤ =𝟎 (𝟐𝟒)
𝒅𝒙 𝒙=𝑳

• Substituting from equation 14 and dividing by 𝒎, we then obtain

𝑪𝟏 𝒆𝒎𝑳 − 𝑪𝟐 𝒆−𝒎𝑳 = 𝟎 (𝟐𝟓)

• Using this expression with equation 18 to solve for 𝑪𝟏 and 𝑪𝟐 and substituting
the results into equation 14, we obtain

𝜽 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒎 𝑳 − 𝒙
= (𝟐𝟔)
𝜽𝒃 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒎𝑳

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Fins of Uniform Cross-Sectional Area
• Using this temperature distribution with equation 21, the fin heat transfer rate is
then
𝒒𝒇 = 𝒉𝑷𝒌𝑨𝒄 𝜽𝒃 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐡 𝒎𝑳 (𝟐𝟕)

3. In the same manner, we can obtain the fin temperature distribution and heat
transfer rate for Case C, where the temperature is prescribed at the fin tip. That
is, the second boundary condition is 𝜽(𝑳) = 𝜽𝑳 , and the resulting expressions
are of the form

𝜽 𝜽𝑳 Τ𝜽𝒃 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒎𝒙 + 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒎 𝑳 − 𝒙

= (𝟐𝟖)
𝜽𝒃 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒎𝑳

𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒎𝑳 − 𝜽𝑳 Τ𝜽𝒃
𝒒𝒇 = 𝒉𝑷𝒌𝑨𝒄 𝜽𝒃 (𝟐𝟗)
𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒎𝑳

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Fins of Uniform Cross-Sectional Area
4. The very long fin, Case D, is an interesting extension of these results, in
particular as 𝑳 → ∞, 𝑻 𝑳 → 𝑻∞ , or 𝜽 𝑳 = 𝜽𝑳 = 𝑻 𝑳 − 𝑻∞ → 𝟎, and it
easily verified that (note that 𝒆−𝒎𝑳 = 𝒆−∞ = 𝟎)

𝜽
= 𝒆−𝒎𝒙 (𝟑𝟎)
𝜽𝒃

𝒒𝒇 = 𝒉𝑷𝒌𝑨𝒄 𝜽𝒃 (𝟑𝟏)

• The forgoing results are summarized in table 1. The hyperbolic functions and its
derivatives are defines as

𝟏 𝟏 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒙 𝒆𝒙 − 𝒆−𝒙
𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒙 = 𝒆𝒙 − 𝒆−𝒙 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒙 = 𝒆𝒙 + 𝒆−𝒙 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐡 𝒙 = =
𝟐 𝟐 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒙 𝒆𝒙 + 𝒆−𝒙

𝒅 𝒅𝒖 𝒅 𝒅𝒖 𝒅 𝟏 𝒅𝒖
𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒖 = 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒖 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝒖 = 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝒖 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐡 𝒖 =
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐡𝟐 𝒖 𝒅𝒙

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 One-Dimensional Steady-State Conduction
Fins of Uniform Cross-Sectional Area

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 The End

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