Heat Transfer Third Year Dr.Aysar T.

Jarullah

Conduction-Convection Systems
In heat-exchanger applications a finned-tube arrangement might be used to remove heat from
a hot liquid. The heat transfer from the liquid to the finned tube is by convection. The
extended-surface problem is a simple application of a conduction-convection systems.
Consider the one-dimensional fin exposed to a surrounding fluid at a temperature T∞ as
shown in Figure below. The temperature of the base of the fin is T0.

Let P = perimeter = 2(Z + t)

The energy balance on an element of the fin of thickness dx is

dT  dT d 2T 
  kA  kA  2 dx  hPdx(T  T ),  dx 
dx  dx dx 
Heat Transfer Third Year Dr.Aysar T. Jarullah

dT d
let   T  T ,  
dx dx

d 2T d 2
 2
dx 2 dx

Let m2 = hP/kA
d 2
2
 m 2  0
dx
(D-Operator)

D2 1  0  D   1
 The roots of the equation above are:

m1  1, m2  1

The general solution is

Several cases may be considered:

CASE 1: The fin is very long.

B.C.1 at x  0 T  T0    0
B.C.2 at x   T  T   0

By applying the boundary conditions on the general equation above, we get

CASE 2: The end of the fin is insulated so that dT/dx = 0 at x = L.

B.C.1 at x  0 T  T0    0
B.C.2 at x  L dT / dx  0 d / dx  0

From B.C.1  0  C1  C 2  C1   0  C 2
dT
From B.C.2  mC1e  mL  mC 2 e mL  0
dx

Subs. B.C.1 in B.C.2, we get

Heat Transfer Third Year Dr.Aysar T. Jarullah

 0 e  mL  0 e  mL
C 2  mL  C1   0  mL
e  e mL e  e mL

Subs. C1&C2 in the general equation, we obtain

CASE 3: The fin is of finite length and loses heat by convection from its end.

B.C.1 at x  0 T  T0    0
d
B.C.2 at x  L k  h
dx

From B.C.1  0  C1  C 2  C1   0  C 2

From B.C.2   
 k  mC1 e  mL  mC 2 e mL  h C1 e  mL  C 2 e mL 
By applying C1&C2 in the general equation, we get,

Calculation of Heat Lost by the Fin

The heat lost by the fin can be calculated either by

or by
Heat Transfer Third Year Dr.Aysar T. Jarullah

FOR CASE 1:

 d d
 e  mx ,  m 0 e mx ,   m 0
0 dx dx x 0

hP
  kA( m 0 )  kAm 0 , For q  kA 0 
kA
q  hPkA  0

FOR CASE 2:

 cosh[m( L  x)] d   me  mx me mx 
 ,   0   2 mx
 
0 cosh mL dx 1 e 1  e 2mx 
d  1 1  d  e mL  e  mL 
  0 m 2 mx
     m 
0   mx

dx x 0 1 e 1  e  2 mx  dx  e e
 mL

 e mL  e  mL 
 q   kA 0 m  mx  mL
 
 e e 
q  hPkA  0 tanh mL

FOR CASE 3:

The heat flow for this case is