Experimental Analysis on Pin Fin Heat Exchanger Using Different Circular Fin Material

Extended surfaces or fins are used to increase the heat transfer rates from a surface to the surrounding fluid wherever it is not possible to increase the value of the surface heat transfer coefficient or the temperature difference between the surface and the fluid. Fins are fabricated in variety of forms. Fins around the air cooled engines are a common example. The Pin Fin Apparatus that is Dynamic apparatus consists of a simple pin fin which is fitted in a rectangular duct. The duct is attached to suction end of a blower. One end of fins is heated by an electrical heater. Thermocouples are mounted along the length of fin and a thermocouple notes the duct fluid temperature. When top cover the fin is opened and heating started, performance of fin with natural convection can be evaluated and with top cover closed and blower started, fin can be tested in forced convection. The aim of the present study is to improve the heat transfer characteristics and to investigate the performance of fin efficiency by using fin of different materials in pin fin apparatus. Here the system follows natural and forced convection as the mode of heat transfer and principle used in it. This experiment accomplished by using blower and without blower in the riser tube, which connects to the thermocouples which flows the air to the heater. From the heater the air gets heated and the air transfer to the pin fin in it. This procedure followed for the fin of different materials, Reynold's number, Nusselt`s number are calculated and heat transfer coefficient and fin efficiencies are analyzed.