Effect of Perforated Pin Fin on Thermal Performance of a Rectangular Channel in Forced Convection

Abstract

The focus of this study is to characterize the thermal behaviour of a planar heat sink with different fin patterns, namely solid, perforated, and taper fins in both inline and staggered orientations under horizontal fluid flow conditions. By using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations within ANSYS software to validate the numerical model with experimental one, the study explores how adjustments to fin designs can improve heat transfer efficiency. It confirms that changes in fin profile have substantial effects on thermal performance by effectively enlarging the area for heat exchange as well as promoting turbulence. Although the study shows that increasing heat transfer area is essential, puncturing the fin structure accelerates fluid flow and enhances thermal efficiency. Overall, twelve different fin configurations, solid and perforated square fins together with diamond-shaped ones (solid & incrementally pierced on the base), edge-perforated in addition to a hollow internal rectangular cross-section of a passage, were investigated. The main objective is evaluating key performance parameters such as Nusselt number, friction factor, and heat transfer effectiveness. The results demonstrate that the higher heat transfer effectiveness factor is about 1.55 for perforated diamond fins and 1.5 for perforated fins, while the lowest value is 0.8 for solid diamond fins.