Integration of a Fin Experiment into the Undergraduate Heat Transfer Laboratory

Abstract

A fin experimental apparatus was designed, developed and constructed for the undergraduate heat transfer laboratory at Purdue University at Fort Wayne. This paper presents a fin experiment that can be integrated into the undergraduate heat transfer laboratory. The objective of this experiment is to enhance the understanding of the transfer of thermal energy by undergraduate mechanical engineering students. This experiment exposes the students to several important concepts in heat transfer, such as one-dimensional, steady-state heat transfer by conduction and fin efficiency. In this type of experiment, the students get the opportunity to compare the measured temperature profiles in the fin to both analytical and numerical solutions. The experimental apparatus required to carry out this experiment is simple and inexpensive.