Effect of Fin Interruptions on Natural Convection Heat Transfer From a Rectangular Interrupted Single-Wall

Steady-state external natural convective heat transfer from a single-wall vertically-mounted rectangular interrupted fin arrays is investigated. A systematic numerical, experimental, and analytical study is conducted on the effect of adding interruptions to a single vertical plate, on natural convective heat transfer. COMSOL Multiphysics software is used in order to develop a two-dimensional numerical model for investigation of fin interruption effects. To perform an experimental study and to verify the analytical and numerical results, a custom-designed testbed was developed. Results show that adding interruptions to a vertical single fin enhances the thermal performance of it and reduces the weight of the heatsink, which in turn, can lead to lower manufacturing costs. A compact relationship for the Nusselt number based on geometrical parameters for interrupted fins is presented using a blending technique for two asymptotes of interruption length.