Thermal performance analysis of arbitrary-profile fins with non-fourier heat conduction behavior

Abstract

The thermal performance of variable cross-section fins is considered using the Maxwell-Cattaneo-Vernotte (MCV) heat conduction model. Four different fins, namely rectangular, triangular, convex, and concave fins, with a periodic thermal condition are examined. The governing equations are hyperbolic and are solved numerically using an implicit finite difference method. In the MCV model, the thermal wave propagates with a finite speed, and hence sharp discontinuities appear in the temperature profiles. In this study, temperature profiles at various times, heat transfer rates, and thermal efficiencies of Fourier and non-Fourier fins are presented. In addition, the effect of relaxation time is considered. The results show that the effects of cross-sectional area and relaxation time are considerable on the thermal performance of various non-Fourier fins. To validate our findings, the results for non-Fourier fins with constant cross-sectional area obtained from this study are compared to those of other numerical solutions. This comparison confirms the correctness of the current results. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.