Prediction of optimum design variables for maximum heat transfer through a rectangular porous fin using particle swarm optimization

Abstract

The current study deals with the optimization of significant variables which govern the heat transfer from a porous fin in convective medium using particle swarm optimization (PSO). The temperature distribution of the fin is obtained analytically by a perturbation technique called homotopy perturbation method (HPM). To validate the temperature distribution obtained by HPM, finite difference method is employed. Next a significance analysis has been carried out to identify important variables that play a vital role in transferring heat from the porous fin. The set of variables thus obtained was then optimized by PSO to enhance the heat transfer rate. Reflective boundary condition is incorporated in the PSO to prevent particles from wandering in the infeasible region. The convergence plots of the variables show the effectiveness of PSO in solving non linear problems of this magnitude which are often encountered in the analysis of heat transfer through porous fins.