Enhancement of natural convection heat transfer from a vertical heated plate using inclined fins

An enhancement technique is developed for natural convection heat transfer from a vertical heated plate with inclined fins, attached on the vertical heated plate to isolate a hot air flow from a cold air flow. Experiments are performed in air for inclination angles of the inclined fins in the range of 30° to 90° as measured from a horizontal plane, with a height of 25 to 50 mm, and a fin pitch of 20 to 60 mm. The convective heat transfer rate for the vertical heated plate with inclined fins at an inclination angle of 60° is found to be 19% higher than that for a vertical heated plate with vertical fins. A dimensionless equation on the natural convection heat transfer of a vertical heated plate with inclined fins is presented. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 36(6): 334–344, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20168