Thin metallic fins are often attached to cylindrical pipes to help remove heat from the pipe quickly.
Such
a fin has an inner radius R1 where it contacts the pipe and where the temperature may be constant at
Tw. For such a fin, the flow of heat through the metal can be modelled by the equation (4)
2
2 d y dy 2
x 2
+ x −x y=0
dx dx
Which is a form of the modified Bessel equation
2
2 d y dy 2
x 2
+ x −(x ¿ ¿ 2+ p ) y=0 ¿
dx dx
in which y is dimensionless temperature and x is a dimensionless radial distance. This form of the Bessel
equation has the following general solutions.
When p is not an integer or zero,
y= AI p ( x ) + B I −p ( x)
When p is not an integer k or zero,
y= AI k ( x ) + B K k (x)
Where the modified Bessel functions are defined as follows:
2 n+ p
1
∞ ( x)
2
I p ( x )=∑
n=0 n ! τ (n+ p+1)
( )
2 m−k
(−1 )k 1 x
(( ) )
k−1 m ∞
1 1 (−1 ) ( k−m−1 ) ! 1 2 m−k 1 2
ln x +γ I k ( x ) + ∑ + ∑
k +1
K k ( x )=(−1 ) ( x) ¿
2 2 m=0 m 2 2 m=0 m! ( m+ k ) !
γ =0.577215157 …
τ (n+1)=n !
k
1
∅ ( k )= ∑
m =1 m
∅ ( k )=0
For the particular case of Eq. (4), Ip(x) =
()
2 3
x x 1
a. 1+( ) + +…
2 2 ( 2 ! )3
1+( ) +( )
2 4
x x 1
b. +… 2
2 2 ( 2! )
()
2 3
x x 1
c. 1+( ) + +…
2 2 ( 2 ! )2
d. ln ( x ) ¿)
