Numerical Investigation of Louvered Fins for Efficient Cooling of Automotive Engines

Bodhisattwa Debnath; Piyush Sharma; Sandipan Roy; G Naresh

Abstract

Air cooled fins are designed to cool motorcycle engines or similar class of small vehicles bytransferring the heat to the air as it passes in-between the fins at high speed. The air circulation andfin geometry are interdependent, and improved air circulation leads to more efficient cooling. So, inthis study a parametric numerical investigation is conducted on a new conceptual design of air-cooled fins. Design parameters are set as: fin pitch, louver pitch and air velocity; while their effect onaverage fin surface temperature with heat transfer coefficient are set as outputs. Observations showthat velocity difference in between the fins proportionate on high heat transfer due to increasedvelocity and their distribution between each louver. The combinations of parameters give a total of 27analyses results and it is observed that when velocity increases from 5.556 m/s to 16.667 m/s there isa reduction of ~10 K in average fin temperature. Also, there is slight reduction in averagetemperature of the fins when fin pitch and distance between the louver fins varied from 11 mm to 19mm and 15 mm to 19 mm respectively. Three of the analysis results show the paramount heat transferand lowest temperature for air velocity for air velocity 16.667 m/s when fin pitch 15 mm and louverpitch 17 mm, resulting in average temperature at 390.83 K; with fin pitch 19 mm, louver pitch 17 mm,average temperature becomes second lowest 390.84 K. Finally, when fin pitch is 19 mm, louver pitchis 15 mm, average temperature becomes 390.85 K.

Abstract

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