Thermal Performance Analysis of Plate Fin Arrays with Different Perforations under Varying Reynolds Number

Abstract

Heat transfer enhancement has been a major concern in modern days in designing heat generating equipment. In the present study experimental investigations has been carried out to analyze the thermal performance of plate fin arrays for solid, circular and hexagonal perforations along the length of the fin in different Reynolds number flow under steady state forced convection. The flow velocity was varied ranging from 4 ms-1 to 12 ms-1 and the experimental data were recorded after a certain period of time at a constant heat flux. The performance of plate fin as heat sink was tested and best result was found in case of plate fin with hexagonal perforation heat sink. Convective heat transfer coefficient, fin effectiveness, and fin efficiency were tested to have increased in hexagonal perforation for plate fin arrays. Thermal resistance seems to decrease in hexagonal perforation than circular perforation and solid fins. This study suggests that most important parameter that governs the performance of fin is the fin geometry and varied cross section i.e., perforations.