Experimental relationships for heat flux, Nusselt number and temperature difference in a finned heater

Abstract

In this study, a heater with finned surface, having a large application field in practice and working in accordance with the principle of natural convection heat transfer, is investigated. In such systems, the increase of heat transfer coefficient is obtained by preventing the rise of the thickness of the thermal layer using an obstacle on the heater surface and fins for widening the total surface. The temperature difference between the body-environment, and the heat transfer coefficients obtained from the heater change, depend on the fin parameters and heat flow applied on the system. In cylindrical heaters with circular fins and horizontal location, the vertical fluid flow on the side fin towards the outer surface increases the performance of the heater sufficiently. The results obtained from the experimental runs are shown in graphs depending on the distance between fins, the heater body diameter and the fin diameter.