Extended Surface (Fin)

Navin Kumar Jha

Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Pulchowk Campus
 Introduction
• It is possible to increase the heat transfer rate by
increasing the surface of heat transfer. The
surfaces used for increase heat transfer are called
extended surface or fins
• Applications:
- Radiators in Automobile
- Air Cooling of Cylinder Head (Motorcycle, scooter)
- Small Compressor
- Electronic component
Types
Governing Equation for Fins of Uniform Cross Section

Dx

thickness

x
 Assumptions

 Steady state one dimensional conduction Model.

 No Heat sources or sinks within the fin .
 Thermal conductivity constant and uniform in all directions.
 Heat transfer coefficient constant and uniform over fin faces.
 Surrounding temperature constant and uniform.
 Base temperature constant and uniform over fin base.
 Fin width much smaller than fin height.
 No bond resistance between fin base and prime surface.
 Heat flow off fin proportional to temperature excess.
 Steady One-dimensional Conduction through Fins

qconv or qradiation

qx qx+dx

Conservation of Energy:

qcond , x  qcond , x  x  qconvection

qconvection  hA(T  T )  hPx (T  T )

 Substituting and dividing by Dx:

qcond , x  x  qcond , x
 hP(T  T )  0
x
Taking limit Dx tends to zero and using the definition of derivative:

dq
 hP (T  T )  0
dx
Substitute Fourier’s Law of Conduction:
 dT 
d   kAc 
 dx 
 hP(T  T )  0
dx
 d 2T
2
 m 2
(T  T )  0
dx

Define:   T  T

d 2
2
m  0
2

dx
At the base of the fin:

 base  Tbase  T
Tip of A Fin
 Linear Second order ODE with Constant Coefficients

• This equation has two linearly independent solutions.

• The general solution is the linear combination of those two
independent solutions.
• Each solution function qi(x) and its second derivative must be
constant multiple of each other.
• Therefore, the general solution function of the differential equation
above is:

θ x   C1e mx
 C2 e -mx
• Equation is a linear, homogeneous, second-order differential equation with
constant coefficients.
• A fundamental theory of differential equations states that such an equation
has two linearly independent solution functions, and its general solution is the
linear combination of those two solution functions.
• A careful examination of the differential equation reveals that subtracting a
constant multiple of the solution function ϴ from its second derivative yields
zero.
• Thus we conclude that the function ϴ and its second derivative must be
constant multiples of each other. The only functions whose derivatives are
constant multiples of the functions themselves are the exponential functions
(or a linear combination of exponential functions such as sine and cosine
hyperbolic functions).
• Therefore, the solution functions of the differential equation above are the
exponential functions e-ax or eax or constant multiples of them.
- where C1 and C2 are arbitrary constants whose values are
to be determined from the boundary conditions at the base
and at the tip of the fin.
- Note that we need only two conditions to determine C1
and C2 uniquely.
- The temperature of the plate to which the fins are
attached is normally known in advance. Therefore, at the
fin base we have a specified temperature boundary
condition, expressed as

 base  Tbase  T  C2 e m0

At the fin tip we have several possibilities, including

specified temperature, negligible heat loss (idealized as an
insulated tip), convection, and combined convection and
radiation. Next, we consider each case separately
• For a sufficiently long fin of uniform cross section (Ac =
constant), the temperature of the fin at the fin tip will
approach the environment temperature and thus T(L)- will
approach zero. That is,

• This condition will be satisfied by the function e-mx, but not by

the other prospective solution function emx since it tends to
infinity as x gets larger. Therefore, the general solution in this
case will consist of a constant multiple of e-mx.
  x   C1e -mx

At the base of the fin:

 base  Tbase  T
Infinitely long fin:

T fin tip  T   fin tip  0 as L  

 x   C1e -mx

C1 =  base  Tbase  T
T ( x)  T  mx
e
Tbase  T 
- Fins are not likely to be so long that their temperature
approaches the surrounding temperature at the tip.
- A more realistic situation is for heat transfer from the fin tip to
be negligible since the heat transfer from the fin is
proportional to its surface area, and the surface area of the fin
tip is usually a negligible fraction of the total fin area.
- Then the fin tip can be assumed to be insulated, and the
condition at the fin tip can be expressed as
Fin Efficiency
 Fin Effectiveness

- Fins are used to enhance heat transfer, and the use

of fins on a surface cannot be recommended unless
the enhancement in heat transfer justifies the added
cost and complexity associated with the fins.
- In fact, there is no assurance that adding fins on a
surface will enhance heat transfer.
- The performance of the fins is judged on the basis of
the enhancement in heat transfer relative to the no-
fin case. The performance of fins expressed in terms
of the fin effectiveness
 Fin Effectiveness

Here, Ab is the cross-sectional area of the fin at the base and Qno fin represents the rate
of heat transfer from this area if no fins are attached to the surface.
 Fin Effectiveness

• An effectiveness of 1 indicates that the addition of fins to the surface

does not affect heat transfer at all. That is, heat conducted to the fin
through the base area Ab is equal to the heat transferred from the
same area Ab to the surrounding medium.
• An effectiveness of fin < 1 indicates that the fin actually acts as
insulation, slowing down the heat transfer from the surface. This
situation can occur when fins made of low thermal conductivity
materials are used.
• An effectiveness of fin >1 indicates that fins are enhancing heat
transfer from the surface, as they should. However, the use of fins
cannot be justified unless effectiveness is sufficiently larger than 1.
• Finned surfaces are designed on the basis of maximizing effectiveness
for a specified cost or minimizing cost for a desired effectiveness. Note
that both the fin efficiency and fin effectiveness are related to the
performance of the fin, but they are different quantities. However,
they are related to each other by
 Solved Examples

1. Which of the following arrangement of pin fins will give

higher heat transfer rate from a hot surface?
- 6 fins of 10 cm length
- 12 fins of 5 cm length
The base temperature of the fin is maintained at 200°C and the
fin is exposed to a convection environment at 15°C with
convection coefficient 25 W/m2-deg. Each fin has cross-
sectional area 2.5 cm2, perimeter 5 cm and is made of a
material having thermal conductivity 250 W/m-deg.
• Neglect the heat loss from the tip of fin.
2. A steel fin (k = 54 W/mK) with a cross section
5mm X 6mm is 80 mm long. It is attached to a
plane wall maintained at a temperature of 400°C.
The ambient air temperature is 50°C and
convective heat transfer coefficient at surface is 90
W/m2K. Calculate the heat dissipation rate from
the rod (assuming heat loss from fin tip and
assuming insulated tip)
Also calculate efficiency and effectiveness of the fin
3. A steel rod (k= 30 W/m-deg) 1 cm in diameter
and 5 cm long protrudes from a wall which is
maintained at 100°C. The rod is insulated at its
tip and is exposed to an environment with h
=50 W/m2-deg and ta=30°C. Calculate the fin
efficiency, temperature at the tip of fin and the
rate of heat dissipation.