A numerical analysis of a convective straight fin with temperature-dependent thermal conductivity

Abstract

In this paper, heat transfer characteristics of a straight fin having temperature-dependent thermal conductivity were computed by using 3-D CFD analysis and MATLAB differential equation solver. The computations were performed with two different cases having both constant and linear function for thermal conductivity property. The CFD and MATLAB results were in good agreement with the data available in the literature. With the help of using these numerical techniques, fin efficiency can be improved and heat transfer rate of fins can be augmented by changing fin materials with variable thermal properties and air-flow conditions. Application of the proposed method can be effectively extended to solve the class of similar non-linear fin problems in engineering and sciences.