NUMERICAL STUDY OF HEAT TRANSFER

ENHANCEMENT USING OBLIQUE FINS

1. ABSTRACT

This research paper presents a numerical study of the performance of forced

convection and natural convection in different rectangular fin arrangements.
Fin angles play a crucial role in the effectiveness of heat transfer in both
forced and natural convection systems, and the objective of this study is to
examine the impact of fin angle on the heat transfer rate and fluid flow
characteristics. The study will consider four different fin angles: 0°, 10°, 20°,
and 30° and numerical simulations will be conducted using ANSYS
FLUENT software to evaluate the heat transfer performance and fluid flow
behavior for each fin angle.
Forced convection involves the use of a fan or pump to circulate fluid
through a finned heat exchanger. Natural convection, on the other hand, relies
on buoyancy forces to drive fluid flow through the fins. Both forced and
natural convection plays an important role in a wide range of applications,
including HVAC systems, electronic cooling, and industrial processes. The
effectiveness of heat transfer in these systems can be improved by optimizing
the fin geometry and angle, and this study will contribute to our under-
standing of how fin angle affects heat transfer performance in both forced and
natural convection modes. The simulation study will be based on a well-
established CFD model that accounts for the complex fluid flow and heat
transfer processes in finned heat exchangers. And the results of the simulation
study will provide insight into the optimal fin angle for maximum heat
transfer and efficiency in both forced and natural convection systems. The
results will also highlight the key differences between forced and natural
convection in terms of heat transfer performance and fluid flow behavior for
each fin angle.
In conclusion, this study will provide valuable information for engineers and
researchers working in the field of heat transfer and fluid flow. The results of
the simulation study will inform the design of finned heat exchangers, and
contribute to the development of more efficient and effective cooling systems
for a wide range of applications.
keywords: Natural convection; forced convection.
 2. INTRODUCTION

Heat transfer is the process of thermal energy moving from one place
to another. In most engineering and industrial applications, the efficient
transfer of heat is important for the proper functioning of components and
systems. The most common method used for heat transfer applications to
increase convection is by increasing the surface area for heat transfer using
fins. In this time of energy crisis and environmental problems caused by
fossil fuel based vehicles, electric vehicles are the go-to for our goal to
achieve net zero emissions to stop climate change [1]. The most important
part of the EV is the batteries. Currently, the most commonly used battery is
Lithium-ion batteries which are sensitive to temperature [2]. The
performance of the cooling system of the batteries is critical because the
battery is dependent on temperature, which can affect the battery
performance and will affect the quality of the vehicle [3,4]. In the study
conducted by Xiaoming Xu, Guangyao Tong, and Renzheng Li it can be seen
that the increase in length of the splitter helps to reduce the temperature
increase but the increase in length also increases the flow resistance of the
liquid cooling system thus reducing the performance. Also, the difference in
the deflection angle is higher than the length showing that the angle has a
great influence on the performance of the splitters [5]. Qian, Li, and Rao
studied the thermal performance of Lithium-ion batteries using mini-channel
cooling with water as a medium. They concluded that the increase in the
number of channels improved the cooling efficiency up to a point and an
increase in width led to a reduction in pressure drop. They also discovered
that by increasing the inlet mass flow rate there is a decrease in the maximum
temperature of the battery system [6]. Another study was conducted on
liquid-cooled plates that contain oblique fins and straight fins. They
concluded that the coefficient of heat transfer of the oblique fins is higher
than the straight ones [7]. The study conducted by Nur, Rozli, and
Gunnasegarana compares the performance of different arrangements of
oblique fins arranged inline, incline, and louvered.

The results show that the surface temperature of the louvered is the lowest
and also the oblique fins arranged in the louvered arrangement show the
highest value of Nusselt number followed by inline and incline
arrangements [8]. While comparing the inline arrangement and the
staggered one, the temperature decreased and there is a small increase in
pressure drop
in the inline concerning the longitudinal pitch. The increase in fin height
resulted in a decrease in temperature and an increase in pressure drop [9].
The constant growth in performance and speed in electronic devices and
systems lead to the need for more highly efficient, speedy, and compact-sized
chips. But compact and high-performance chips come with more heating and
thus need for a more efficient cooling system [10]. Pence and Chen came up
with the study where they got higher heat transfer and less pressure drop
when compared with the conventional fins using the fractal-shaped
microchannel [11,12]. The study shows that oblique fins can increase heat
transfer by generating different velocity and temperature profiles which then
resulted in a thinner boundary layer.

The oblique fins by their deviation angle provide a diversion of coolant and
thus create secondary flows inside the microchannel which increases the
mixing. This makes the oblique fins efficient. The effect of a thinner
boundary layer and more fluid mixing results in high heat transfer and higher
pressure drop [13]. There are various studies conducted related to fins using
natural convection and forced convection. In natural convection, the higher-
temperature fluid or gas rises due to the buoyant forces and replaces the cool
fluid with a hot one. This convection current helps the heat transfer to occur
without any external help. But in forced convection, the heat transfer is
affected by external means such as fans, pumps, etc. A study conducted on
heat transfer by forced convection in rectangular fins shows that at a low
Reynolds number, the flow is mostly laminar and when the Reynolds number
has increased the flow is turning turbulent. The study shows that when the
channel length is increased the Nusselt number is decreasing [14]. This
shows us that shorter channels provide more heat transfer. The numerical
study conducted by Nabeel and Sahib in a 3D, model in CFD revealed that
perforated pin fins showed high performance when compared with the solid
fins taking Reynolds number as a function[15]. The research on how to
reduce weight, increase heat transfer simultaneously, and decrease the cost of
fin material led them to the idea of perforated fins. By using perforations and
interruptions between fins the study shows us that it can increase heat
transfer by proper mixing of fluids. Also, a decrease in thickness increases
thermal conductivity [16,17].

Different types of cooling techniques used in EV batteries are - Liquid

cooling is circulating a coolant fluid through the battery pack to remove heat.
Liquid cooling is more efficient because liquid coolants have a high
convective heat removal rate due to higher density and heat capacity
compared to air. Air cooling involves using fans to blow air over the battery
pack to remove heat., Phase change material cooling uses a substance that
transforms from solid to liquid as it absorbs heat is used in phase change
material cooling, which effectively stores the heat until it can be released.,
Thermoelectric cooling is a technique that involves cooling the battery pack
by means of the Peltier effect(transfer of heat energy that occurs between two
materials when an electric current passes through).
 3. METHODS AND MATERIALS

3.1. DESIGN

The fins we are considering for our analysis are aluminium fins and the
chosen geometry contains two inlets and two outlets by which fresh air flow
is passed parallel to the base plate with diameters of 6.8 mm. The fins are
arranged in a geometry of length 135 mm and width 51 mm. The fins are of
dimensions having a length of 19mm and a width of 1mm arranged as per
different alignments In the case of natural convection, we used similar fin
dimensions but the base plate length is increased by 38mm on both sides of
the plate making a length of 211mm, and the base plate breadth is increased
overall by 10mm. The overall increase in dimensions is useful to provide
fully developed fluid flow through the inlet considered. The fully developed
flow condition is critical since it guarantees that the velocity profile remains
cons tant along the conduit’s length, ensuring that the fluid flow is consistent
and predictable.

Fig 1 Dimensions of Forced convection model

Fig 2 Dimensions of Natural convection model

 3.1.1 GRID INDEPENDENCE

The entire computational domain has meshed with element size with the Map
scheme and a total of 1600000 cells was generated. Simulations with
different element sizes showed satisfactory grid independence for the results
obtained with this element size. Here we have used different element sizes
0.001, 0.0008,0.00086, .0.0009, and mesh sizes were 1200000,
2200000,1800000, and 1600000 to evaluate the impact of mesh size on the
simulation results. We have observed that when the element size is 0.0009,
we get an exact mesh shape, whereas for other element sizes the mesh is
irregular, and convergence issues occur.

Fig 3 Natural Fig 4 Forced

 3.2 BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

The energy equations were solved inside this domain. The inlet
temperature of the coolant given was 300K and the pressure 0pa . The
assumptions taken for modeling this domain include:
1 ) Incompressible Fluid
2 ) Laminar flow,
3 ) Steady-state flow
4 ) Constant fluid properties etc.

4. Result and Discussion

As the fins technology continues to grow for the right reasons, there is a
need for a more efficient, lightweight, and economically viable alternative
de- sign of fins. So, the optimal design and fin size can help to achieve
maximum heat removal with minimum expenditure. We have analyzed and
studied this 3D model with the help of ANSYS FLUENT software. The
governing equations used to solve the problem using ANSYS Fluent are
energy, momentum, and continuity equations. The assumptions considered
are the flow is steady, laminar, and incompressible flow. There are three
types of heat transfer conduction, convection, and radiation. In our study, we
are not focusing on radiation because for radiation the temperature should be
much higher to see the effect. So, we are studying the effect of heat transfer
by comparing the heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number of the fins
and the base in the different alignments of the fins. There are two types of
convection: Natural convection and Forced convection. In the case of natural
convection, we are not providing any external means to increase the heat
transfer as in the case of the latter one. The study is conducted using both
natural and forced convection. We have used rectangular fins in our study
and conducted a comparative study on rectangular fins arranged at different
oblique angles. The angles we considered for our studies are 0°, 10°, 20°,
and 30°.
4.1 Forced convection

Fig 5 0 degree

Fig 6 10 degree

Fig 7 20 degree
 Fig 8 30 degree

Fig 9 Heat flux of 600W/m2

Fig 10 Heat flux of 900W/m2

In forced convection, the variables in the study considered are the different
oblique angles, the heat flux provided, and also Reynold’s number. The
simulations are performed for two cases of different heat fluxes of 600 W/m^2
and 900 W/m^2 and also two cases of Reynolds’s numbers 400 and 500. The
above figures show (fig5-fig8) that the study is conducted for straight
arrangements and other three oblique angles with different heat fluxes and
Reynold’s numbers for the correct understanding of the effect of the alignment
of rectangular fins for heat transfer. The amount of heat transfer using the fins
is analyzed by calculating the heat transfer coefficient of the fins. When
Reynold’s number is taken as 400 and the heat flux provided is 600 W/m^2,
the study shows that the fin arranged at 30° and 20° showed more efficient heat
transfer. The most effective fin alignment is 30°(ie. Fig 8) followed by 20°(ie.
fig 7), 10°(ie. fig 6), and then the straight(fig ones in decreasing order of heat
transfer. In the next case when Reynold’s number is kept at 400 itself and the
heat flux is increased to 900 W/m^2 we can see that the same trend is
repeating. From Fig 9 and Fig 10, the graph shows the change in the heat
transfer coefficient. When Reynold’s number is increased from 400 to 500 and
the heat flux of 600 W/m^2 and 900 W/m^2, the result shows that the heat
transfer is more in 30° followed by 20°, 10°, and 0°. From the study conducted,
we can clearly understand that 30° aligned rectangular fins are most efficient in
dissipating the heat with a heat transfer coefficient of 64.394W/m2/K
compared with other oblique fins and then comes 20° which is also very much
close to the previous one. It clearly shows that the oblique fins are better than
straight fins for heat transfer.

4.2 Natural convection

Fig 11 0 degree
 Fig 12 10 degree

Fig 13 20 degree

Fig 14 30 degree
 Fig 15 Heat flux of 900W/m2

In natural convection when the surface is heated the buoyant forces cause the
nearby air (fluids) to move which results in forming a thermal boundary
layer. The oblique fins interrupt the thermal boundary layer and the normal
flow to provide a higher natural heat transfer coefficient [18]. The idea is to
study how the different inclinations of the fins can affect the natural heat
transfer. As in forced convection, we are considering four different
orientations of the fins that are straight ones, 10°, 20°, and 30°. The study is
conducted for two different values of Rayleigh numbers 10^5 and 10^5 and
the result will be analyzed by the calculation of the Nusselt number and heat
transfer coefficient of fins and surface. From the above figures(11-14) of
temperature contours, we can clearly see the relationship between the
temperature flow and the fin angle. Our data shows that as the fin angle
increases, the temperature also increases. which means 30° is more efficient
than all other fin angles. The increase in temperature with the increase in fin
angle can be explained by the fact that as the fin angle increases, the surface
area of the fin exposed to the surrounding air increases. This larger surface
area results in more efficient heat transfer between the fin and the air. From
fig.15 we can clearly see that when the angle of inclination increases the heat
transfer coefficient also increases simultaneously

5. Conclusion
The experimental study is performed on proposed fins that are designed in
different oblique angles using aluminium. Characteristics of the fins using
both forced and natural convection are understood. The forced convection in
oblique fins is studied under variables like Reynold’s number and heat flux.
The results are measured by comparing the Nusselt number and heat transfer
coefficient of fins during convection. The study shows us that oblique angle
fins having 30 degrees is contributing to more heat transfer and followed by
10 degrees, 20 degrees, and 0 degrees in descending order. In the case of
natural convection, the variable considered is the Rayleigh number and the
results are measured by calculating the Nusselt number and heat transfer
coefficient of fins. The increase in temperature with the increase in fin angle
can be beneficial in certain applications. For example, in electronic cooling
systems, a higher fin angle can help to dissipate heat more efficiently and
prevent overheating of components. However, it is important to note that the
optimal fin angle will depend on a variety of factors, including the specific
application and the materials used. Overall, our findings suggest that the
relationship between temperature and fin angle is an important consideration
in the design of heat transfer systems. Future research could explore how
other factors, such as material properties or airflow, may impact this
relationship and inform more precise design guidelines.

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