International Research Journal of Education and Technology

Fins are extended surfaces used to dissipate heat energy generated in combustion chambers of internal combustion (IC) engines, radiators, condensers, and cooling towers. The heat transfer within fins is primarily due to conduction, while the heat transfer between the fin surface and the surrounding fluid is due to convection. The temperature at the root of the fin is maximum and gradually decreases along its length, reaching the lowest temperature at the tip. Fin efficiency is defined as the ratio of actual heat transfer to the maximum possible heat transfer through the fin. Fin effectiveness is the ratio of heat transfer with fins to heat transfer without fins. This study analyzes the thermal performance of different fin geometries using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The geometries include annular fins with 3 and 9 discs, perforated fins with elongated holes, and wedge-shaped fins. The materials considered are aluminum alloy and copper alloy. The analysis is performed using CATIA for modeling and ANSYS 14.0 Transient Thermal Workbench for simulation. The results show that wedge-shaped fins exhibit the highest heat flux and efficiency, followed by perforated fins and fins with 9 discs. The study concludes that wedge-shaped fins are the most effective for heat dissipation.

Keywords: Fins, Perforated geometry, Fin effectiveness, Fin efficiency, Heat flux, Film coefficient, CATIA, ANSYS 14.0.