Thermally Optimum Arrays of Cards and Fins in Natural Convection

Abstract

Recently derived analytic relations for natural convection heat transfer coefficients along isothermal or isoflux channel surfaces are applied to the thermal optimization of printed circuit cards and fin arrays. The procedure used and the governing relations, for both thermally symmetric and asymmetric card arrays, are presented. A similar development for arrays of natural convection fins, addressing the influence of fin thickness on the optimum fin spacing and maximum array heat dissipation, is also shown.