1

ONE-DIMENSIONAL
STEADY-STATE CONDUCTION
(finned surfaces)
Class N° 5

Facultad de minas
2

WHAT WE KNOW
• The term one-dimensional refers to the fact that only one coordinate is
needed to describe the spatial variation of the dependent variables.

• The system is characterized by steady-state conditions if the temperature

at each point is independent of time.

OBJECTIVES
• To introduce performance parameters that may be used to determine
extended surfaces efficacy.

• To analyze finned surfaces, and assess how efficiently and effectively fins
enhance heat transfer.
3

EXTENDED SURFACES (Definition)

An extended surface is referred to a case involving heat transfer by conduction
within a solid and heat transfer by convection (and/or radiation) from the
boundaries of the solid.
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 temperatures and
across which there is a fluid flow.

 
With , there is concurrent heat
transfer by convection to the fluid,
causing to decrease with increasing .

Combined conduction and convection in a structural

element
 4

EXTENDED SURFACES (Definition)

A fin is an extended surface used specifically to enhance heat transfer
between a solid and an adjoining fluid.
 
Consider a plane wall with a fixed surface temperature
There are three ways in which the heat transfer rate may be
increased:

• Increasing the convection coefficient .

• Reducing the fluid temperature

• Increasing the surface area across which the convection

occurs.
The most common and practical option is increasing the
surface area by employing fins that extend from the wall into
the surrounding fluid.
 5

EXTENDED SURFACES (Fin Configurations)

The thermal conductivity of the fin material can have a strong effect on the
degree to which the heat transfer rate is enhanced.
• Straight fin: is any extended surface that is attached to a plane wall. It has
rectangular cross section.
• Annular fin: is one that is circumferentially attached to a cylinder. It has
rectangular cross section.
• Pin fin: is an extended surface of circular cross section.

The thermal conductivity of the fin material can have a strong effect on the temperature distribution along the
fin and therefore influences the degree to which the heat transfer rate is enhanced.
 6

EXTENDED SURFACES (A General Conduction Analysis)

To determine the heat transfer rate associated with a fin, we must first obtain the
temperature distribution along the fin. We the begin by performing and energy
balance on an appropriate differential element) To simplify the analysis we assume:
 • One-dimensional conduction.

• Steady-state conditions.

• Constant thermal conductivity.

• Negligible radiation from the surface.

• Absent heat generation effects.

• Uniform convection heat transfer

Energy balance for an extended surface. coefficient over the surface.
7

EXTENDED SURFACES (A General Conduction Analysis)

Applying the conservation of energy requirement to the differential element,
and from Fourier’s law:
 𝑞
  𝑥𝑥= 𝑞 𝑥𝑥+𝑑𝑥
+𝑑𝑥
+ 𝑑 𝑞conv
conv

   𝑑𝑇
𝑑𝑇    𝑑
𝑑𝑞𝑞 𝑥𝑥
𝑞 =−𝑘
𝑞𝑥𝑥= −𝑘 𝐴
𝐴𝑐𝑐 𝑞𝑞𝑥𝑥+𝑑𝑥 =𝑞 +
+𝑑𝑥 = 𝑞𝑥𝑥 +
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥
 Where is the cross-sectional area, which may vary with . Since the conduction heat
rate at may be expressed as
   𝑑𝑇 𝑑 𝑑𝑇
𝑞 𝑥+𝑑𝑥
𝑥+𝑑𝑥
=− 𝑘 𝐴 𝑐𝑐
𝑑𝑥
−𝑘
𝑑𝑥 ( 𝐴 𝑐𝑐
𝑑𝑥 )𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑞 conv=h𝑑 𝐴 𝑠𝑠(𝑇 −𝑇 ∞
   conv ∞)

The general form of the energy equation for an extended surface.

  22𝑇
 𝑑 1 𝑑 𝐴 𝑐𝑐 𝑑𝑇 1 h 𝑑 𝐴 𝑠𝑠
𝑑𝑥
22
+
(
𝐴 𝑐𝑐 𝑑𝑥 ) (
𝑑𝑥
−
𝐴 𝑐𝑐 𝑘 𝑑𝑥 )
( 𝑇 −𝑇 ∞∞) =0

(3.58)
 8

FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

 
The case of straight rectangular and pin fins of uniform cross section. Each fin is
attached to a base surface of temperature and extends into a fluid of temperature . For
the prescribed fins, is a constant and , where is the surface area measured from the
base to and is the fin perimeter.
 𝑑
2
 𝑑 𝑇
2
𝑇 h𝑃
h𝑃    22 h𝑃
−
− (𝑇 −𝑇
(𝑇 −𝑇 ∞∞)=0 𝜃
   ( 𝑥 ) ≡𝑇 ( 𝑥 ) −𝑇 ∞ 𝑚 ≡
𝑚 ≡
22
𝑘 𝐴
𝑘 𝐴𝑐𝑐
)=0 ∞ 𝑘 𝐴 𝑐𝑐
𝑑𝑑 𝑥𝑥
2
  𝑑
𝑑 2𝜃
𝜃 2
2
2
− 𝑚 2 𝜃= 0
− 𝑚 𝜃= 0
𝑑
𝑑𝑥𝑥
The general solution is of the form
𝑚𝑥 − 𝑚𝑥
𝜃 ( 𝑥 ) =𝐶 1 𝑒 +𝐶 2 𝑒
  
 9

FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

9
10

10
FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA
(Boundary Condition)
One
  such condition may be specified in terms of the temperature at the base of the fin
 𝜃
  ( 0 ) =𝑇 𝑏𝑏 − 𝑇 ∞
∞
≡ 𝜃 𝑏𝑏
 
The second condition, specified at the fin tip , may correspond to one of four different
physical situations. 𝑑𝜃
Case A: Convection Heat Transfer From The Fin Tip
  
h 𝜃( 𝐿)=− 𝑘
𝑑𝑥 |
𝑥=𝐿
𝑥=𝐿
𝑑𝑇
  
h 𝐴 𝑐𝑐 [ 𝑇 ( 𝐿 ) − 𝑇 ∞∞]=− 𝑘 𝐴𝑐𝑐
𝑑𝑥 |
𝑥=
𝑥=𝐿𝐿

   𝜃
=cosh 𝑚 ( 𝐿 − 𝑥 ) +¿ ¿ ¿
𝜃 𝑏𝑏
 Note that the magnitude of the temperature gradient
decreases with increasing
11

11
FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA
(Boundary Condition)
To calculate the amount of heat transferred from the entire fin, we may apply Fourier’s
law at the fin base. That is,

𝑑𝑇 𝑑𝜃
  
𝑞 𝑓𝑓 =𝑞 𝑏𝑏=−𝑘 𝐴 𝑐𝑐
𝑑𝑥 |𝑥=0
𝑥=0
=− 𝑘 𝐴 𝑐𝑐 |
𝑑𝑥 𝑥=0
𝑥=0

 Hence, knowing the temperature distribution, , may be evaluated, giving

  sinh
sinh 𝑚𝐿
𝑚𝐿++( h/
h/𝑚𝑘𝑚𝑘 ) cosh
cosh𝑚𝐿
𝑚𝐿
𝑞𝑞  𝑓𝑓 =
=√ h𝑃𝑘
h𝑃𝑘 𝐴
𝐴𝑐𝑐𝜃𝜃𝑏𝑏
cosh
cosh 𝑚𝐿+
𝑚𝐿+( hh //𝑚𝑘
𝑚𝑘 ) sinh
sinh 𝑚𝐿
𝑚𝐿
12

12
FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA
(Boundary Condition)
CASE B: Adiabatic Fin Tip.
This case corresponds to the assumption that the convective heat loss from the fin tip
is negligible, in which case the tip may be treated as adiabatic.

  𝑑 𝜃
𝑑𝑥 |
𝑥𝑥=𝐿
=𝐿
=0
𝜃
𝜃 = cosh
  𝜃
𝜃𝑏𝑏
=
cosh 𝑚
𝑚((𝐿
𝐿−− 𝑥𝑥 ))
cosh
cosh 𝑚𝐿
𝑚𝐿

The fin heat transfer rate is then:

 𝑞
  𝑓=√ h𝑃𝑘 𝐴 𝑐𝑐 𝜃 𝑏𝑏 tanh 𝑚𝐿
𝑓
13

13
FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA
(Boundary Condition)
 CASE C: Prescribed Temperature At The Fin Tip
In this case, the second boundary condition is and the resulting expressions are of the
form:

   𝜃
=¿ ¿
𝜃𝑏
𝑏

   cosh
cosh 𝑚𝐿
𝑚𝐿−𝜃
−𝜃𝐿𝐿//𝜃𝜃𝑏𝑏
𝑞𝑞𝑓𝑓 =
=√ h𝑃𝑘
h𝑃𝑘 𝐴
𝐴𝑐𝑐𝜃𝜃𝑏𝑏
sinh
sinh 𝑚𝐿
𝑚𝐿
 CASE D: The Infinite Fin
As , and it is easily verified that
   𝜃 −𝑚𝑥
=𝑒 −𝑚𝑥  𝑞
  𝑓= √ h𝑃𝑘 𝐴 𝑐𝑐 𝜃 𝑏𝑏
𝜃 𝑏𝑏 𝑓

(3.78)
14

14

FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

(Resume)
Case Tip condition Temperature Distribution Fin Heat Transfer Rate

Convection heat transfer:

A

Adiabatic:
B

Prescribed Temperature:
C

Infinite fin
D

 
 15

FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

(Fin Performance)
The fin represents a conduction resistance to heat transfer from the original surface,
hence there is no assurance that the heat transfer rate will be increased through the
use of fins.
  The effectiveness is defined as the ratio of the fin heat
transfer rate to the heat transfer rate that would exist
without the fin.
   𝑞
𝑞𝑓𝑓
𝜀𝜀 𝑓𝑓=
=
h
h𝐴𝐴𝑐𝑐,, 𝑏𝑏 𝜃
𝜃𝑏𝑏
 
Where is the fin cross-sectional area at the base. In general, the use of fins may rarely
be justified unless .
 16

FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

(Fin Performance)
Although the installation of fins will alter the surface convection , this effect is
commonly neglected. For the infinite fin approximation (Case D), the result is
1/
1/ 2
   𝑘𝑃 2
𝜀 𝑓𝑓 =
(
h 𝐴 𝑐𝑐 )
 
The fin effectiveness is enhanced by:
• The choice of a material of high thermal conductivity.
• Increasing the ratio of the perimeter to the cross-sectional area.
• Using a small convection coefficient .

  is certainly not necessary to use very long fins to achieve near maximum heat
It
transfer enhancement since the 99% of the maximum possible fin heat transfer is
achieved for
17

17

FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

(Fin Performance)
Because of the gradual temperature drop along the fin, the region near the fin tip makes
little or no contribution to heat transfer.

mL = 5  an infinitely
long fin mL = 1 offer a
good compromise
between heat transfer
performance and the fin
size.
18

18

FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

(Fin Performance)
• Perhaps you are wondering if this one-dimensional approximation is a
reasonable one.
• Studies have shown that the error involved in one-dimensional fin analysis is
negligible (less than about 1 percent) when (Biot number):

where  is the characteristic thickness of the fin, which is taken to be the plate
thickness t for rectangular fins and the diameter D for cylindrical ones.
 19
FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA
(Fin Performance)
Fin performance may also be quantified in terms of a thermal resistance. Treating the
difference between the base and fluid temperatures as the driving potential, a fin
resistance may be defined as
   𝑞
𝑞𝑓𝑓
𝜀𝜀 𝑓𝑓=
=
h
h𝐴𝐴𝑐𝑐,, 𝑏𝑏 𝜃
𝜃𝑏𝑏

   𝜃
𝜃𝑏𝑏    1
𝑅
𝑅𝑡𝑡 ,,𝑓𝑓 =
= 𝑅
𝑅𝑡𝑡 ,𝑏
,𝑏=
𝑞
𝑞𝑓𝑓 h 𝐴 𝑐𝑐 ,𝑏
,𝑏

Dividing Equation of fin performance into the expression for the thermal resistances:

   𝑅 𝑡𝑡 ,, 𝑏𝑏
𝜀 𝑓𝑓 =
𝑅 𝑡𝑡 ,, 𝑓𝑓
 20
FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA
(Fin Performance)
 
Another measure of fin thermal performance is provided by the fin efficiency . The
maximum rate at which a fin could dissipate energy is the rate that would exist if the entire
fin surface were at the base temperature. A definition of fin efficiency is
   𝑞
𝑞𝑓𝑓 𝑞
𝑞𝑓𝑓
𝜂𝜂𝑓𝑓 ≡
≡ =
=
𝑞
𝑞max
max h
h𝐴𝐴𝑓𝑓 𝜃
𝜃𝑏𝑏
 
Where is the surface area of the fin. For a straight fin of uniform cross section and an
adiabatic tip
   𝑀 tanh 𝑚𝐿 tanh 𝑚𝐿
𝜂𝑓𝑓 = =
h𝑃𝐿 𝜃𝑏𝑏 𝑚𝐿
 For a straight rectangular fin with an active tip, it has been shown that approximate
predictions may be obtained with a corrected fin length of the form for a rectangular fin
and for a pin fin.
 21

FINS OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

(Fin Performance)
Hence, with tip convection , the fin heat rate may be approximated as
   tanh
tanh 𝑚 𝑚𝐿 𝐿𝑐𝑐
   𝑓𝑓 =𝑀 tanh 𝑚 𝐿𝑐𝑐
𝑞 𝜂𝑓𝑓 =
=
𝑚
𝑚𝐿𝐿𝑐𝑐
 Errors associated with the approximation are negligible if or .

 If the width of a rectangular fin is much larger that its thickness, , the perimeter may be
approximated as , and
11/2 11/2
   h𝑃 /2
2h /2
𝑚 𝐿 𝑐𝑐=
( )
𝑘 𝐴 𝑐𝑐 ( )
𝐿𝑐𝑐=
𝑘𝑡
𝐿𝑐𝑐

(3.89)
 22
FINS EFFICIENCY
 
Multiplying numerator and denominator by and introducing a corrected fin profile area, , it
follows that

1/
1/22
   h
𝑚 𝐿 𝑐𝑐=
( )
𝑘 𝐴 𝑝𝑝
3 /2
𝐿𝑐3𝑐 /2

Efficiency of straight fins

(rectangular, triangular, and
parabolic profiles).
 23

FINS OF NONUNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

  a special case, consider the annular fin. Although the fin thickness is uniform ( is
As
independent of ), the cross-sectional area, , varies with . Expressing the surface area as ,
the general form of the fin equation reduces to
22
 𝑑
 𝑑 𝑇 𝑇 1 1 𝑑𝑇
𝑑𝑇 2h2h
22
+
+ −
− ( 𝑇𝑇 −𝑇
−𝑇 ∞∞) =0
=0
𝑑
𝑑 𝑟𝑟 𝑟𝑟 𝑑𝑟
𝑑𝑟 𝑘𝑡
𝑘𝑡

 Or, with and ,

2
  𝑑
𝑑 2𝜃𝜃 1 1 𝑑
𝑑𝜃𝜃 2
2
2
+
+ −
− 𝑚
𝑚 𝜃
𝜃=0
=0
𝑑
𝑑𝑟𝑟
2 𝑟
𝑟 𝑑𝑟
𝑑𝑟
The foregoing expression is a modified Bessel equation of order zero, and its general
solution is of the form
𝜃
   ( 𝑟 )= 𝐶 11 𝐼 00 ( 𝑚𝑟 ) +𝐶 22 𝐾 00( 𝑚𝑟)

(3.93)
 24

FINS OF NONUNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

 
Where and are modified, zero-order Bessel functions of the first and second kinds,
respectively. If the temperature at the base of the fin is prescribed, , and an adiabatic tip
is presumed, , we then obtain

  𝜃𝜃 𝐼𝐼00 ((𝑚𝑟

𝑚𝑟 )) 𝐾
𝐾 11( 𝑚
𝑚 𝑟𝑟22) +
+𝐾 (𝑚𝑟)𝐼𝐼11(𝑚
𝐾00 (𝑚𝑟) (𝑚 𝑟𝑟22))
=
=
𝜃𝜃𝑏𝑏 𝐼𝐼00 ( 𝑚
𝑚 𝑟𝑟11) 𝐾
𝐾11( 𝑚𝑚 𝑟𝑟22) +
+𝐾 (𝑚𝑟𝑟11))𝐼𝐼11(𝑚
𝐾 00(𝑚 (𝑚 𝑟𝑟22))

 
Where and are modified, firs-order Bessel functions of the first and second kinds,
respectively. With the fin heat transfer rate expressed as:

𝑑𝑇 𝑑𝜃
  
𝑞 𝑓𝑓 =− 𝑘 𝐴 𝑐𝑐,𝑏,𝑏 |
𝑑𝑟 𝑟𝑟=𝑟
=𝑟
=− 𝑘 (2 𝜋 𝑟 11𝑡)
11
𝑑𝑟 𝑟𝑟=𝑟
=𝑟
| 11
 25

FINS OF NONUNIFORM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA

  𝐾
𝐾 11( 𝑚
𝑚 𝑟𝑟11) 𝐼𝐼11 ( 𝑚
𝑚𝑟𝑟22) −− 𝐼𝐼11(𝑚
(𝑚 𝑟𝑟11)) 𝐾 (𝑚 𝑟𝑟22))
𝐾11(𝑚
𝑞𝑞  𝑓𝑓 =2 𝜋 𝑘 𝑟 𝑡 𝜃 𝑚
=2 𝜋 𝑘 𝑟11 𝑡 𝜃𝑏𝑏 𝑚
𝐾
𝐾00 ( 𝑚
𝑚𝑟𝑟11) 𝐼𝐼11( 𝑚 𝑚 𝑟𝑟22) +
+𝐼𝐼00(𝑚
(𝑚𝑟𝑟11))𝐾 (𝑚𝑟𝑟22))
𝐾 11(𝑚

From which the efficiency becomes

   = 𝑞
𝑞𝑓𝑓
𝜂𝜂𝑓𝑓 = 2 2
h
h22𝜋 (𝑟222−
𝜋 (𝑟 − 𝑟𝑟121)𝜃
)𝜃𝑏𝑏

 
This result may be applied for and active (convecting) tip, if the tip radius is replaced by
a corrected radius of the form .
Knowledge of the thermal efficiency of a fin may be used to evaluate the fin
resistance
   1
𝑅
𝑅𝑡𝑡 ,𝑓,𝑓 =
h 𝐴 𝑓𝑓 𝜂𝑓𝑓
 26
EFFICIENCY OF ANNULAR FINS OF RECTANGULAR
PROFILE
 27
EFFICIENCY OF FINS
Straight Fins
Rectangulara

Triangulara

Parabolica

 
 28
EFFICIENCY OF FINS
Circular Fin

Rectangulara

Pin Fins

Rectangularb

Triangularb  
 29

OVERALL SURFACE EFFICIENCY

  contrast to the fin efficiency , which characterizes the performance of a single fin, the
In
overall surface efficiency characterizes an array of fins and the base surface to which
they are attached. It is defined as

 𝜂
 𝜂 = 𝑞
𝑞𝑡𝑡 𝑞
𝑞𝑡𝑡
𝑜 = =
=
𝑜
𝑞
𝑞max
max
h
h𝐴𝐴𝑡𝑡 𝜃
𝜃𝑏𝑏

 
Where is the total heat rate from the surface area associated with
both the fins and the exposed portion of the base (prime surface).
The total area surface is:

  𝐴𝑡𝑡=𝑁 𝐴 𝑓𝑓 + 𝐴 𝑏𝑏
 Where, : Number of fins in the array.
Surface area of each fin.
: area of the prime surface.
 30

OVERALL SURFACE EFFICIENCY

The total rate of heat transfer by convection from the fins and the prime surface may be
expressed as
𝑞   𝑡𝑡=𝑁 𝜂 𝑓𝑓 h 𝐴 𝑓𝑓 𝜃 𝑏𝑏++h𝐴
h𝐴𝑏𝑏 𝜃 𝑏𝑏
𝑁
𝑁𝐴𝐴𝑓𝑓
  
𝑞𝑞𝑡𝑡=h
=h[ 𝑁
𝑁 𝜂𝜂𝑓𝑓 𝐴 +( 𝐴
𝐴𝑓𝑓 +( 𝐴𝑡𝑡 −
−𝑁𝑁𝐴
𝐴𝑓𝑓 ))] 𝜃𝜃𝑏𝑏=h
=h 𝐴
𝐴𝑡𝑡 1−
1− [ 𝐴
𝐴𝑡𝑡
(1 −𝜂
(1
]
−𝜂𝑓𝑓 )) 𝜃𝜃𝑏𝑏

   𝑁
𝑁𝐴𝐴𝑓𝑓
𝜂𝜂𝑜𝑜=1−
=1− (1 −𝜂
(1 −𝜂𝑓𝑓 ))
𝐴
𝐴𝑡𝑡
Recalling the definition of the fin
thermal resistance:
   𝜃
𝜃𝑏𝑏 1
1
𝑅
𝑅𝑡𝑡 ,𝑜 =
= =
=
,𝑜
𝑞
𝑞𝑡𝑡 𝜂 𝜂𝑜𝑜 h
h𝐴𝐴𝑡𝑡
31

31
REFERENCES

TEXTS, FIGURES AND TABLES

• Bergman, T. et al. Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer. John Wiley & Sons, 2011

• Cengel, Y. A., Afshin J Ghajar. Transferencia de Calor y Masa, Fundamentos y Aplicaciones.

4 Ed, Mc Graw Hill. 2011.