Department of Mechanical Engineering

ME-409 Heat Transfer, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Lab

Experiment No. 04
Experiment Name: Study of Heat Transfer through Extended Surfaces

Name of Student: Abdul Rehman

Signature of Student: ____________________________
Registration No.: 04-3-1-43-2020
Date of Experiment: 04/08/2024
Group: A1
Report Marks: _____ out of 10.

Date of Report Submission: 05/17/2024

Lab Engineer’s Name: Abdullah
Signature of Lab Engineer: ______________________
 Table of Contents
5.1 Abstract.............................................................................................................................................................. 7
5.2 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
5.3 Experimental Setup............................................................................................................................................ 7
5.4 Theory ................................................................................................................................................................ 8
5.4.1 Extended Surfaces ......................................................................................................................................... 8
5.4.2 Temperature Distribution along an Extended Surface .................................................................................. 9
5.5 Procedure ........................................................................................................................................................ 10
5.4.3 Effect of extended surfaces ......................................................................................................................... 10
5.4.4 Temperature Distribution along an External Surface .................................................................................. 10
5.6 Observation and Calculations .......................................................................................................................... 10
5.7 Discussion and Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 12
 List of Figures
Figure 1 Experimental setup. .......................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 2 Plate Type Fin ................................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 3 Pin Type Fin...................................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 4 Typical graph of air velocities against surface temperature. ............................................................ 9
Figure 5 Graph of surface temperature against distance from back plate. ...................................................... 9
Figure 6 Air Velocity vs Temp Difference (TH-TA).................................................................................... 11
Figure 7 Surface Temperature vs Distance. .................................................................................................. 12
 List of Tables
Table 1 Air Velocity vs Temp Difference (TH-TA) ..................................................................................... 10
Table 2 Surface Temperature vs Distance..................................................................................................... 11
5.1 Abstract
In this experiment, we investigated the impact of extended surfaces on the rate of convective heat transfer.
Specifically, we focused on two types of extended surfaces: pins and fins. The primary goal was to observe
how temperature varies with distance from a heated surface plate at different air velocities. The experiment
was conducted at four distinct air velocities, utilizing thermocouples to measure the temperature on the
heated plate and at fixed distances from the plate. Temperature data were collected for both pinned and
finned surfaces. The findings aligned well with theoretical predictions, demonstrating that finned surfaces
were more efficient at heat transfer due to their larger surface areas. This efficiency was evident as the
temperatures of both the plate and the points at fixed distances were lower for finned surfaces compared to
pinned surfaces. Consequently, fins exhibited a greater temperature gradient than pins. Throughout the
experiment, the ambient temperature was maintained at a constant level.

5.2 Introduction
In the study of heat transfer, fins are surfaces that extend from an object to increase the rate of heat transfer
to or from the environment by increasing convection. The amount of conduction,convection, or radiation of
an object determines the amount of heat it transfers. Increasing thetemperature gradient between the object
and the environment, increasing the convection heat transfer coefficient, or increasing the surface area of the
object increases the heat transfer. Sometimes it is not feasible or economical to change the first two options.
Thus, adding a fin to an object increases the surface area and can sometimes be an economical solution to
heat transfer problems. Fins are most used in heat exchanging devices such as radiators in cars, computer
CPU heatsinks, and heat exchangers in power plants. They are also used in newer technology such as
hydrogen fuel cells. Nature has also taken advantage of the phenomenon of fins. The ears of jackrabbits and
fennec foxes act as fins to release heat from the blood that flows throughthem.

5.3 Experimental Setup

Model: EES-TH-3104

Figure 1 Experimental setup.

5.4 Theory
5.4.1 Extended Surfaces
Heat transfer from an object can be improved by increasing the surface area in contact with theair. In practice
it may be difficult to increase the size of the body to suit. In these circumstancesthe surface area in contact
with the air may be increased by adding fins or pins normal to the surface. These features are called extended
surfaces. A typical example is the use of fins on thecylinder and bead of an air-cooled petrol engine. The
effect of extended surfaces can be demonstrated by comparing finned and pinned surfaces with a flat plate
under the same conditions of power input and airflow.

Figure 2 Plate Type Fin

Figure 3 Pin Type Fin

 Figure 4 Typical graph of air velocities against surface temperature.

5.4.2 Temperature Distribution along an Extended Surface

For a heat exchanger to be 100% efficient, the whole of the extended surface must be at the same temperature
as the backplane. In practice, this cannot occur because the flow of heat alongthe pins or fins by conduction
causes a temperature gradient to occur. The greater this gradient,the less efficient the heat exchanger will be.
The efficiency of the heat exchanger must not be confused with the effect of a change in surface area e.g.
comparing pinned and finned. For example, if the pinned and finned heat exchangers supplied with the
equipment are compared, the pin is more efficient than the fin (slightly smaller temperature gradient) but the
finned exchanger has a significantly larger surface area than the pinned exchanger and can dissipate more
heat for the same surface temperature.

Figure 5 Graph of surface temperature against distance from back plate.

5.5 Procedure
5.4.3 Effect of extended surfaces
➢ Place the heat exchanger into the duct.
➢ Set up the heat exchanger.
➢ Set the heater power control to 75 Watts. Allow the temperature to rise to 80°C, and
then adjust the heater power control to 15 Watts until a steady reading is obtained.
➢ Set the fan speed control to give l m/s using the thermal anemometer. Record heated
plate temperature (TH) and the ambient temperature (TA).
➢ Repeat this procedure at 2 and 2.5 m/s for the flat plate. Repeat the experiment by
replacing the flat plate with the finned plate and pinned plate.
5.4.4 Temperature Distribution along an External Surface
➢ Measure from the back plate the distance of the three access holes on the pinned and
finned heat exchangers.
➢ Set up the heat exchanger.
➢ Set the heater power control to 60 watts. Allow sufficient time to achieve steady state
conditions before noting the heated plate temperature (TH) and the ambient temperature
(TA).
➢ Insert the temperature probe into the duct through the hole nearest the heated plate
ensuring that the tip of the probe is in contact with the pin. A small amount of heat
conducting compound on the tip will ensure good thermal contact. Note this
temperature (Tl).
➢ Record the pin temperatures (T2 and T3) using the remaining two holes. Repeat this
procedure at 1.0 m/s and 2 m/s and so on.
➢ Remove the pinned heat exchanger and replace it with the finned heat exchanger. Repeat
complete experiment.

5.6 Observation and Calculations

Table 1 Air Velocity vs Temp Difference (TH-TA)

Plate Ambient
Velocity TH – TA
Temperature Temperature
(m/s) (0C) (0C) (0C)
Pinned Finned Ta Pinned Finned
1 97.4 97.4 25 72.4 72.4
2 97.3 96.8 25 72.3 71.8
3 96.5 95.6 25 71.5 70.6
4 95.8 94.1 25 70.8 69.1
 Air Velocity vs Temp Difference ( TH-TA)
4.5

3.5

3
Air Velocity ( m/s )

2.5

1.5

0.5

0
68.5 69 69.5 70 70.5 71 71.5 72 72.5 73
Temperature Differnece ( OC )
Pinned Finned

Figure 6 Air Velocity vs Temp Difference (TH-TA)

Table 2 Surface Temperature vs Distance

Air
Surface Temperature, (0C)
velocity
(m/s) T1 T2 T3

Pinned Finned Pinned Finned Pinned Finned

1 38 42 35 39 34 38
2 37 41 34 38 32 36
3 36 39 33 36 32 35
4 35 37 32 34 31 33
 Surface Temperature vs Distance
43

41

39
Surface Temperature ( OC )

37

35

33

31

29

27
20 40 60 80 100 120
Distance (mm)
Pinned - 1 m/s Finned - 1 m/s Pinned - 2 m/s Finned - 2 m/s

Pinned - 3 m/s Finned - 3 m/s Pinned - 4 m/s Finned - 4 m/s

Figure 7 Surface Temperature vs Distance.

5.7 Discussion and Conclusion

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether extended surfaces could enhance
heat transfer from a heated surface through convection. The findings indicated that extended
surfaces, such as fins and pins, are more effective than flat surfaces at dissipating heat from a
hot plate. This advantage is widely applied in the design of cooling systems and heat sinks.
According to Newton's law of convection, the rate of heat transfer is proportional to the surface
area. The increased surface area provided by the fins and pins allowed more of the heated
surface to interact with the cooler ambient air, resulting in faster heat transfer. Specifically, fins
outperformed pins in transferring heat, as evidenced by the lower temperature of the finned
plate compared to the pinned plate at the same power level. The graphical data demonstrated
that as air velocity increased, the temperature of both pinned and finned surfaces rose in a
roughly linear fashion. Additionally, there was a near-linear relationship between temperature
and distance, with temperature decreasing as distance increased. This temperature gradient was
more pronounced in fins than in pins. Due to time constraints, the system did not reach a
complete steady state. Potential errors may have arisen from limitations of the thermocouples
used to measure temperature. Further research is needed to thoroughly analyze these results
and address any limitations. To effectively utilize extended surfaces in industrial applications,
practical constraints must be considered. While extended surfaces enhance heat transfer rates,
they also increase system complexity and cost. Considerations such as material selection,
geometry, and manufacturing methods are crucial for optimizing the performance of extended
surfaces. In this experiment, we measured the rate of heat transfer along a fin by recording the
temperature at various points along its length using thermocouples. Heat was generated using
a heater and dissipated with a cooling fan. We tested rectangular, triangular, and circular fin
configurations and recorded the temperature data for each. From the experimental data, we
calculated the heat transfer coefficient, which quantifies the rate of heat transmission.
The experiment revealed that the rectangular fin was the most efficient at transferring heat,
followed by the triangular fin, and finally the circular fin. As the length, thickness, and air
speed increased, so did the rate of heat transfer. This is because larger fins provide more surface
area for heat dissipation, and faster air movement enhances heat transfer. Fins play a crucial
role in improving heat transfer in industrial and technical applications. The results of this
experiment can be used to design more effective extended surfaces for enhanced heat transfer.