BOILING HEAT-TRANSFER FROM AN EXCAVATED FIN

A single pin fin with excavation at base is proposed to enhance boiling heat transfer. The temperature distribution in the fin is obtained numerically by solving a two-dimensional heat conduction equation. A copper fin boiling in isopropyl alcohol is taken as an example. When the operating temperature exceeds a specific value, the heat duty decreases drastically, and the whole fin is governed by film boiling. This highest operating temperature limit (burnout) is raised by digging a hole at the fin base. Two distinct solutions are found by using different initial guesses into the code. This hysteresis effect becomes noticeable for a bigger hole. A model is also developed to predict the burnout temperatures.