Chapter 3 Fins

Heat and Mass Transfer II
(ME-315)
Chapter 3
Heat Transfer from Extended Surfaces:
Heat transfer from surfaces with uniform crosssections
Solutions based on various boundary conditions,
Fin efficiency curves
Applications and design.
Need for Fins

The rate of heat transfer from a surface at a
temperature Ts to the surrounding medium at
T is given by Newtons law of cooling as
If Ts and T are fixed how can we increase the

heat transfer ?
Increase A or h
Need for Fins

We can increase the surface area by attaching to
the surface an extended surfaces called fins made
of highly conductive materials such as aluminum.
Finned surfaces are manufactured by extruding,
welding, or wrapping a thin metal sheet on a
surface.
Fins enhance heat transfer from a surface by
exposing a larger surface area to convection and
radiation.
Need for Fins
Chapter 3
The thin plate fins of a
car radiator greatly
increase the rate of
heat transfer to the air
Fin Configurations
Assumptions
1. The heat conduction in the fin is steady and onedimensional.
2. There is no energy generation in the fin.
3. The convective environment is characterized by a
uniform and constant heat transfer coefficient and
temperature.
4. The fin has a constant thermal conductivity.
5. The contact between the base of the fin and the
primary surface is perfect.
6. The fin has a constant base temperature.
Fin Equation
General Equation
From Fouriers law
where Ac is the cross-sectional area, which may

vary with x . Since the conduction heat rate at x+dx
may be expressed as
General Equation
General Equation
This result provides a general form of the energy

equation for an extended surface. Its solution for
appropriate boundary conditions provides the
temperature distribution
Fins with uniform cross section

For the prescribed fins, Ac is a constant and As = Px, where
As is the surface area measured from the base to x and P is
the fin perimeter. Accordingly,
dAc /dx = 0
and
dAs /dx = P,
Since
dAc /dx = 0 and

Reduces to
dAs /dx = P,
To simplify the equation
Its general solution is of the form
To evaluate the constants C1 and C2 of we need to

specify appropriate boundary conditions.
Like temperature at the base of the fin (x= 0)
Longitudinal Convecting Fins

1. Rectangular Fin
1. Constant base temperature and convecting tip:
Applying an energy balance to a control surface about
this tip (x=L)
Incorporating both boundary conditions in

general solution we get
BC1 @ x=0
BC2 @ x=L
Above
equation
will
yield
temperature profile as shown in
figure
.
Note that the magnitude of the
temperature gradient decreases
with increasing x. This trend is a
consequence of the reduction in
the conduction heat transfer
qx(x) with increasing x due to
continuous convection losses
from the fin surface.
Heat transfer from Fin

We can calculate total heat transfer either considering
conduction from the base or convection from total surface
of fin both will yield same result
Conduction:
Convection:
where Af is the total, including the tip, fin surface area
Introducing expression of in both equation will yield

same following result:
21
Case: Convective heat loss from the fin tip is

negligible( adiabatic case).
From general solution we get
Fin heat transfer rate

As discussed earlier heat transfer rate can be
written as:
23
Case: when temperature at the fin tip is

known
From general solution we get
Fin heat transfer rate

As discussed earlier heat transfer rate can be
written as:
25
Infinitely Long Fin (Tfin tip=T)
For a sufficiently long fin the temperature at the fin tip

approaches the ambient temperature
Boundary condition: (L)=T(L)-T=0
Infinitely Long Fin (Tfin tip=T)
For a sufficiently long fin the temperature at the fin tip

approaches the ambient temperature
Boundary condition: (L)=T(L)-T=0
The temperature distribution:

T ( x) - T
- x
= e- mx = e
Tb - T
hp / kAc
heat transfer from the entire fin

dT
&
Q =- kAc
dx
= hpkAc ( Tb - T
x=0
Corrected Length concept

A practical way of accounting for the heat loss
from the fin tip is to replace the fin length L in the
relation for the insulated tip case by a corrected
length defined as
28
Fin Efficiency
To maximize the heat transfer from a fin the

temperature of the fin should be uniform
(maximized) at the base value of Tb
In reality, the temperature drops along the fin, and

thus the heat transfer from the fin is less
To account for the effect we define
a fin efficiency
Q&fin
Actual heat transfer rate from the fin
hfin = &
=
Q
Ideal heat transfer rate from the fin
fin ,max
if the entire fin were at base temperature
or &
Q fin = hfin Q&fin ,max = hfin hAfin (Tb - T )
Fin Efficiency
For constant cross section of very long fins:

Q&fin
hpkAc ( Tb - T ) 1 kAc
1
hlong , fin = &
=
=
=
Q fin ,max
hAfin ( Tb - T )
L hp
mL
For constant cross section with adiabatic tip:
hadiabatic , fin
Q&fin
hpkAc ( Tb - T ) tanh mL
= &
=
Q fin ,max
hAfin ( Tb - T )
Afin = P*L
tanh mL
=
mL
Fin Effectiveness
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 is expressed
in terms of the fin effectiveness
defined as
Q&fin
Q&fin
efin =
=
=
&
Qno fin hAb ( Tb - T )
Heat transfer rate

from the fin of base
area Ab
Heat transfer
rate from the
surface of area
Ab
Fin effectiveness
33
Efficiency
Efficiency of straight fins (rectangular, triangular,

and parabolic profiles).
Efficiency
Efficiency of annular fins of rectangular profile
Fin Effectiveness
An effectiveness of fin =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 fin is sufficiently larger than 1.
Fin Effectiveness
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
Efficiency of Common Fin Shapes
Efficiency of Common Fin Shapes
Effect of Fins on Heat Transfer from

Steam Pipes
Steam in a heating system flows
through tubes whose outer
diameter is D1= 3 cm and whose
walls are maintained at a
temperature of 120C. Circular
aluminum fins (k = 180 W/m C)
of outer diameter D2 = 6 cm and
constant thickness t = 2 mm are
attached to the tube, as shown in
Fig.

Steam Pipes
The space between the fins is 3 mm, and thus there are
200 fins per meter length of the tube. Heat is transferred
to the surrounding air at T = 25C, with a combined heat
transfer coefficient of h= 60 W/m2 C. Determine the
increase in heat transfer from the tube per meter of its
length as a result of adding fins.
SOLUTION
Circular aluminum fins are to be attached to the tubes of
a heating system. The increase in heat transfer from the
tubes per unit length as a result of adding fins is to be
determined.

Steam Pipes
Assumptions
1 Steady operating conditions exist.
2 The heat transfer coefficient is uniform over the entire
fin surfaces.
3 Thermal conductivity is constant.
4 Heat transfer by radiation is negligible.
Properties The thermal conductivity of the fins is given
to be k = 180 W/m C.
Analysis In the case of no fins, heat transfer from the
tube per meter of its length is determined from Newtons
law of cooling to be

Steam Pipes
Efficiency can be found directly from the efficiency chart if

we know the corrected length

Steam Pipes

Steam Pipes

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What are fins and why are they used?

What are fins and why are they used?

How does adding fins increase the rate of heat transfer?

How does adding fins increase the rate of heat transfer?

Heat and Mass Transfer II

Need for Fins

If Ts and T are fixed how can we increase the

Need for Fins

Need for Fins

From Fouriers law

where Ac is the cross-sectional area, which may

This result provides a general form of the energy

Fins with uniform cross section

dAc /dx = 0 and

To simplify the equation

Its general solution is of the form

To evaluate the constants C1 and C2 of we need to

Longitudinal Convecting Fins

Incorporating both boundary conditions in

Heat transfer from Fin

where Af is the total, including the tip, fin surface area

Introducing expression of in both equation will yield

Case: Convective heat loss from the fin tip is

From general solution we get

Fin heat transfer rate

Case: when temperature at the fin tip is

From general solution we get

Fin heat transfer rate

Infinitely Long Fin (Tfin tip=T)

For a sufficiently long fin the temperature at the fin tip

Infinitely Long Fin (Tfin tip=T)

For a sufficiently long fin the temperature at the fin tip

The temperature distribution:

heat transfer from the entire fin

Corrected Length concept

To maximize the heat transfer from a fin the

In reality, the temperature drops along the fin, and

if the entire fin were at base temperature

For constant cross section of very long fins:

For constant cross section with adiabatic tip:

The performance of the fins is judged on the basis of

Heat transfer rate

Efficiency of straight fins (rectangular, triangular,

Efficiency of annular fins of rectangular profile

Efficiency of Common Fin Shapes

Efficiency of Common Fin Shapes

Effect of Fins on Heat Transfer from

Effect of Fins on Heat Transfer from

Effect of Fins on Heat Transfer from

Effect of Fins on Heat Transfer from

Efficiency can be found directly from the efficiency chart if

Effect of Fins on Heat Transfer from

Effect of Fins on Heat Transfer from

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