Numerical Study of Natural Convection Heat Transfer From Rectangular Fins Array with Zigzag Arrangement

In this article natural convection heat transfer from an array of aluminum rectangular fins with zigzag arrangement is studied numerically. The length and width of fins are L=75 mm and H=25 mm respectively. Fin thickness and fin spacing are t=2 mm and s=6 mm respectively, and zigzag arrangement have been created with different pitches along the fins length. Finite volume scheme is used to solve three dimensional equations of laminar flow and heat transfer. For 10 different zigzag fin geometries, both constant temperature and constant heat flux boundary conditions at the base plate are examined and results have been compared with a rectangular fin array. In comparison with rectangular fin, 22 triangles zigzag fin has the same heat transfer with 50% reduction in mass for constant base temperature T_b=353(K), and this zigzag fin has the same base temperature when constant heat input power Q_b=10(W) at the base plate is applied.