An Assessment of Extended Surfaces-Two Dimensional Effects

Abstract

This article looks at the effects of considering two-dimensional temperature distributions in analyzing different fin configurations (radial rectangular fins, planar rectangular fins) in contrast to the one-dimensional assumption commonly used in most design methodologies. The investigation of the temperature distributions along the length of the extended surfaces was performed both analytically and by using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. The results obtained were then compared and the observed deviations reported. From these investigations, it was discovered that the one-dimensional approach does not always give good results for the heat fluxes and temperature distributions for plain and radial rectangular fins. This calls into question the validity of the one-dimensional assumption utilized in the design methodologies for heat exchange equipment incorporating plain and radial rectangular fins. Keywords: Fins, heat flux, heat transfer coefficient, Temperature distribution, One-dimensional analysis.