Experiment 3: Extended Surface Heat Transfer - Rectangular Fin
Experiment 3: Extended Surface Heat Transfer - Rectangular Fin
2017B3A40698P
Objective: To study heat transfer through extended surface i.e. rectangular fin.
Apparatus Required: Heating element, thin rectangular fin (Aluminum plate), heat
source, thermocouple, dimmer stat, voltmeter (for V), ammeter (for I), temperature
indicator
Theory:
Fins are extended surfaces attached to bodies to increase effective heat transfer surface
area and hence increase heat flow. For a fin of uniform cross-section with negligible heat
loss from the end of the fin the heat conducted into the fin at its base equals heat loss
from the entire surface of the fin.
Heat flow:
Dimensionless temperature:
θ / θb = (T - T∞) / (Ts - T∞) = cosh(m(L - x)/cosh(mL)
Fin efficiency:
nf = tanh(mL) / mL
T ∞=Surrounding temperature
K = Thermal Conductivity
h = Heat transfer coefficient
Ts = Surface Temperature
T = Temperature at a given point
Assumptions –
1. Steady State Condition.
2. 1-D Radial Heat Conduction.
3. k, ρ and Cp are constant with respect to temperature and space.
Precautions:
Data
Fin Material = Aluminum Fin
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2017B3A40698P
Width= 320mm
Thickness= 3 mm
Room temperature= 31 °C
Area of cross-section of the fin, Acs = 960 mm2
Surface area of the fin, As = 258400 mm2
Parameter of cross-sectional area of the fin, P = 646 mm
Table 1
Base Temperature Tb= 46 °C
Study state fin temperature for electric input = Voltage (V) x Current (A) =67x0.3= 20.1W
h : 12.63 W/m2K
q f tanh ( mL )
Fin Efficiency η f : = mL = 0.41
qmax
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2017B3A40698P
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0.000 0.100 0.200 0.300 0.400 0.500 0.600 0.700 0.800 0.900
Normalized Distance
Experimental Theoretical
Table 2
Base Temperature Tb= 57.1 °C
Study state fin temperature for electric input = Voltage (V) x Current (A) =78x0.35= 27.3W
Sr. no. Distance Temperature at points along width of fin Average
from base Temperature
of fin, x
1 2 3 4 5
Unit> mm (°C) (°C) (°C) (°C) (°C) (°C)
h : 7.96 W/m2K
q f tanh ( mL )
Fin Efficiency η f : = mL = 0.50
qmax
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1
Normalized temperature
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0.000 0.100 0.200 0.300 0.400 0.500 0.600 0.700 0.800 0.900
Normalized Distance
Experimental Theoretical
Table 3
Study state fin temperature for electric input = Voltage (V) x Current (A) = 99x0.45=44.55W
h : 5.13 W/mK
q f tanh ( mL )
Fin Efficiency η f : = mL = 0.59
qmax
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2017B3A40698P
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0.000 0.100 0.200 0.300 0.400 0.500 0.600 0.700 0.800 0.900
Normalized Distance
Experimental Theoretical
Table 4
Base Temperature Tb=102.2 °C
Study state fin temperature for electric input = Voltage (V) x Current (A) =124x0.55=68.2W
h : 6.248 W/mK
q f tanh ( mL )
Fin Efficiency η f : = mL = 0.53
qmax
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2017B3A40698P
1
Normalized Temperatue
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0.000 0.100 0.200 0.300 0.400 0.500 0.600 0.700 0.800 0.900
Normalized Distance
Experimental Theoretical
Table 5
80.0
60.0
Linear (Reading 1)
f(x) = − 0.05 x + 59.4
50.0 Reading 2
Linear (Reading 2)
f(x) = − 0.03 x + 47.21
40.0 Reading 3
f(x) = − 0.02 x + 41.96
Linear (Reading 3)
30.0 Reading 4
Linear (Reading 4)
20.0
10.0
0.0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Distance (mm)
Results
Table 6
1) The fin efficiency from the reading come out to be 0.41, 0.50, 0.59 0.53 for the respective readings.
2) The average convective heat transfer coefficient comes out to be 8.108 W/m2k.
3) If we compare the experimental and theoretical temperature profiles, the theoretical plots are steeper
than the experimental plots. This discrepancy may be due to the following reasons:
Steady State has not been achieved completely
Experimental uncertainties
Heat Transfer through the support which has not been accounted for
Assumption of 1-D Heat transfer
Exercises:
1) All graphs plotted above next to their respective table
2) Average Convective heat transfer coefficient is 8.108 W/m2k.
3) Done for each, refer results
4) Done for each, refer to Results
Questions:
Q3) Does the addition of fins to a surface always increase the heat transfer? Find the limiting condition.
Ans) When we add fins to a surface, it does not always increase the heat transfer. If heat transfer
coefficient is very high, then addition of fins reduces the rate of heat transfer, as they will start reducing
the total area for heat transfer. Also, if they are placed too near to each other, again the heat transfer rate
reduces.
It is defined as the ration between heat transfer rate with fin and the heat transfer rate without fin. If ε is
the fin effectiveness, there are 3 cases
(i) ε= 1 : Fin does not affect the heat transfer at all.
(ii) ε < 1 : Fin act as insulation (if thermal conductivity (k) of fin material is low) .
(iii) ε > 1 : Heat transfer will be increased.
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Q4) Under what conditions of a fin of given volume gives maximum heat transfer?
A fin of given volume gives maximum heat transfer when it will have maximum area for heat transfer.
1
1) ε α
√h
2¿ε α √ k
P
3)ε α
√
AC
For fixed volume, heat transfer rate increases when we decrease h, increase k (by using a better material)
or increasing the lateral surface area.
Q5) What will be the effect of considering the fin thickness ‘t’ in the calculation of h.
Ans) If we consider the thickness of the fin, it plays a part in calculation of h as it is a part of the Cross-
Sectional area A in the equation as well in m.
q=√ hPk A C tanh ( mL)
Hence, if we increase thickness, value of h will decrease and if we decrease the thickness, value of h will
increase.