Laminar Mixed Convection in a Shrouded Fin Array

Abstract

An analytical study is made to investigate the effect of buoyancy on laminar forced convection in a shrouded fin array. Two heating conditions are considered; in one, the fins and the base surface are hotter than the fluid, and in the other, they are colder. The results are obtained numerically for a wide range of the governing buoyancy parameter. It is found that with a hot fin and base, the secondary flow pattern is mostly made up of a single eddy. The influence of buoyancy is significant and leads to Nusselt numbers and friction factors which are much higher than for pure forced convection. With a cold fin and base, the presence of a tip clearance between the fins and the shroud generates a multiple eddy pattern. The resulting stratification is responsible for the existence of high axial velocity and temperature in the clearance region relative to that in the inter-fin space. Compared to the hot fin case, the secondary flow is weaker, and therefore a relatively smaller increase in the friction factor is obtained. The Nusselt number is found to increase only in the absence of tip clearance. The distribution of the heat transfer coefficient along the fin and the base for both heating situations is found to be highly nonuniform.