HEAT TRANSFER FROM FINNED SURFACES

The rate of heat transfer from a surface at a temperature Ts to the

surrounding medium at T∞ is given by Newton’s law of cooling as

Qcon=h A c (T s−T ∞ )

where As is the heat transfer surface area and h is the convection

heat transfer coefficient. When the temperatures Ts and T∞ are fixed
by design considerations, as is often the case, there are two ways
to increase the rate of heat trans fer:

To increase the convection heat transfer coefficient h or to

increase the surface area As.

Figure 1: Some innovative

fin designs.

Fin Equation:

Consider a volume element of a fin at location x having a length of Δx, cross- sectional area of
Ac, and a perimeter of p. Under steady conditions, the energy balance on this volume element
can be expressed as

Qcond , x =Q cond , x+∆ x +Q conv

Where

Qconv =h (p ∆ x)(T −T ∞ )

Substituting and dividing by Δx, we obtain

Qcond , x+∆ x +Q conv

+hp ( T −T ∞ ) =0
∆x

Taking the limit as Δx approaches to zero gives

.
d Q cond
+ hp ( T −T ∞ )=0
dx
From Fourier’s law of heat conduction we have

. dT
Q cond =−K A c
dx

In general, the cross-sectional area Ac and the perimeter p of a fin vary with x, which makes this
differential equation difficult to solve. In the special case of constant cross section and constant
thermal conductivity.

2
d θ 2
2
−a θ=0
dx

Where

2 hp
a=
K Ac

and θ = T — T∞ is the temperature excess. At the

fin base we have

θb = Tb — T∞.

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 one of case Figure 2: Boundary conditions at the fin
from this. base and the fin tip

Convection (or Combined Convection and Radiation) from Fin Tip

We will derive the heat conduction equation for an extended surface with the convection
boundary condition at the tip.

General Heat Conduction Equation for a Fin

The temperature distribution along the fin is governed by the one-dimensional steady-state heat
conduction equation with heat loss due to convection:

2
d T hP
2
− ( T −T ∞ )=0
dx KA

where:

 T is the temperature along the fin,

 T ∞ is the ambient temperature,
 h is the heat transfer coefficient,
 P is the perimeter of the fin,
 k is the thermal conductivity of the fin material,
 A is the cross-sectional area.

This equation simplifies to:

2
d θ 2
2
−m θ=0
dx

where:

θ=T −T ∞

2 hP
m=
KA

General Solution of the Heat Equation

The characteristic equation of the differential equation:

2
d θ 2
2
−m θ=0
dx

has a general solution:

mx −mx
θ ( x )=C 1 e + C2 e
Where C 1and C 2 are constants determined by boundary conditions.

Boundary Conditions:

For a fin attached to a base at x=0 with temperature T b, we set:

θ ( 0 ) =T b −T ∞

At the tip (x=L), the boundary condition for convection states:

dT
−KA ¿ =hAθ(L)
dx x= L

which in terms of θ becomes:

dθ
−KA ¿ =hAθ (L)
dx x= L

Solve for Constants

Applying the first boundary condition at x=0:

θ ( 0 ) =C1 +C 2=T b−T ∞

Applying the convection boundary condition at x=L:

−Km ( C 1 emL −C 2 e−mL )=h ( C1 e mL +C 2 e−mL )

Dividing both sides by km,

h
−( C 1 e −C 2 e )= Km ( C 1 e mL +C 2 e−mL )
mL −mL

Rearranging:

(
C 1 e mL 1+
h
Km )
=C 2 e−mL (1−
h
Km
)

Solving for the constants, we get the final temperature distribution:

 h
cosh ( m ( L−x )) + sinh ⁡( m ( L−x ) )
Km
θ ( 0 ) =(T b−T ∞ )
h
cosh ( mL )+ sinh ⁡( mL)
Km

which gives the temperature profile along the fin with a convective boundary condition at the
tip.

The graph showing the temperature distribution along the fin with a convective boundary
condition at the tip. The temperature gradually decreases from the base towards the tip due to
heat dissipation.