On the Optimal Shape and Efficiency Improvement of Fin Heat Sinks

Federico Zullo () and Claudio Giorgi
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Federico Zullo: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Architettura, Territorio, Ambiente e di Matematica (DICATAM), Universitá degli Studi di Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Claudio Giorgi: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Architettura, Territorio, Ambiente e di Matematica (DICATAM), Universitá degli Studi di Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy

Energies, 2022, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: In this paper, we analyze the values of the entropic efficiency of longitudinal fins by investigating the coupling between the function describing the fin profile and the corresponding steady-state temperature distribution along the fin. By starting from different boundary conditions, we look at the distribution temperature maximizing the efficiency of the fin. From this temperature distribution and by requesting that the fin must comply with natural physical constraints, such as the maximum fin thickness, we obtain an optimal profile for a purely convective fin and a convecting–radiating fin. For different boundary conditions and for a maximum fin thickness equal to four (in dimensionless units), both the profiles are increasing starting from the fin base until they reach the maximum value and then decrease to zero at the tip. Analytic and numerical results, together with different plots, are presented.

Keywords: fin heat sink; fin efficiency; entropy rate; longitudinal fin; convection; radiation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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