Comparison of the Performance of Helical and Normal Pin Fins

Bozorgmehr Mansouri¹ Aghil Yousefi-Koma² Ali Mozafari³ Mehdi Jokar⁴

1) University of Tehran Email:
2) University of Tehran Email:
3) University of Tehran Email:
4) University of Tehran Email:

Publication : 2nd International Conference On Research Science And Technology(2rstconf.com)
Abstract :
In many engineering applications, fin arrays are used as a method to provide more area for heat transfer from a surface. The amount of heat transfer depends on film coefficient of the coolant fluid (e.g. air) which is a function of the flow regime. If the flow is more turbulent, the amount of heat transfer will be higher. Therefore, causing turbulence in air flow is desirable in many cases. A practical way to cause turbulence in air flow which is passing through an array of pin fins, is using helical fins instead of straight normal fins. In this paper, the performance of helical and normal pin fins, which are attached to a surface with a high temperature, is evaluated using numerical simulation. It should be noticed that the pitch length of helical fins must be in an appropriate range for better functionality. By performing CFD analysis on several models of helical pin fin arrays with different pitch lengths, the optimum amount of pitch length is found. It was concluded that making helical pin fins with a specific optimum pitch length, will result in a significant increase in the amount of heat transfer.
Keywords : Heat transfer - CFD analysis - Helical fins