5.

A vertical hot surface with 12 cm width and 18 cm height is allowed to cool down in air at
30 ºC using a heat sink with fins equally spaced and rectangular profile, as in the figure. Fins
have 0.1 cm thickness, 18 cm height and 2.4 cm length from their base. Calculate the optimal
spacing of the fins and the rate of heat transfer by free convection from the sink, if the base
temperature is 80 ºC.

film temperature: Tf = (Ts + T∞)/2 ]=(80+30)/2= 55ºC = 328K

g    Ts  T   L3 Air properties

RaL  ·Pr 
2
= 9.81*(1/328K)*(80‐30)*(0.18^3)*0.704/((1,847e‐5)^2) = 1.8e7

1
 Ra  4 L
Sopt  2.71 3 S   2.714 = 2.714*0.18/((1.8e7)^0.25) = 0.0075m
S L RaL0.25
h·Sopt
Nuopt   1.307
k
h = 4.83 W/m2.K
 Now, this is a fin problem. We have to calculate fin
efficiency and then, heat rate:

Nfins = W/(S+t) = 0.12/(0.0075+0.001) = 14.12 ≈ 14 fins

Lc = L + t/2 = H+t/2 = 0.024+0.001/2 = 0.0245m

Appendix Afin = 2*w*Lc = 2*L*Lc = 2*0.18*0.0245 = 0.1235m2
Ab = W*L‐(L*t*Nfins) = 0.12*0.18‐(0.18*0.001*14) = 0.0191m2

= (2*4.83/240/0.001)^0.5 = 6.345
 = tanh(m*Lc)/(m*Lc) = 0.992

Heat transfer? qt  N   f  h  A f   b  h  Ab   b
q = 14*0.992*4.83*0.1235(80‐30)+4.83*0.0191*(80‐30) = 34.2W

29.6 4.6