Optimization of a reversed trapezoidal fin using a 2-D analytic method

Abstract

A reversed trapezoidal fin with variable fin base thickness is optimized based on the fixed fin volume by using a two-dimensional analytic method. The variation of temperature along the normalized Y position at the fin tip is presented. For fixed fin volumes, the maximum heat loss, the corresponding optimum fin effectiveness, fin base height and fin tip length as a function of the fin base thickness, fin shape factor and the fin volume are presented. One of the results shows that both the optimum heat loss and the optimum fin length increase with the increase of the value of fin shape factor.