Enhancement of Free Convection From Horizontal-Base Straight-Fin Heat Sink by Partial Shrouding

Abstract

Abstract This work presents a simple method to improve natural convection heat transfer performance of horizontal-base straight-fin heat sink by adding partial shroud plates on top of the heat sink at both ends. Experiments are conducted in conjunction with a detailed three-dimensional (3D) computational study. The numerical model is validated using experimental results. With partial shrouding, the modification and effective utilization of airflow surrounding the heat sink leads to significant heat transfer enhancement. The installation of shroud plates effectively improves the mass flowrate of air admitted into the fin channel. Further, the airflow drawn above the heat sink dissipates heat from the upper surface of the shroud plate. There is also a significant heat dissipation from the lower surface of the shroud plate which is exposed to cold air drawn from the side-end of the heat sink. The heat transfer from the existing optimal conventional heat sink is improved by 17% with the introduction of shroud plates. An optimal width of the shroud plate is identified to exist for the maximum heat transfer. The percentage enhancement in heat transfer achieved by partial shrouding increases with a decrease in the fin height and with an increase in the fin spacing. The proposed compact heat sink design would be of application in enhancing passive heat dissipation from light-emitting diode (LED) lights and other electronic devices, especially when size constraints exist.