Heat-Transfer for Fins with Two-Port Theory

Abstract

Fin heat transfer is an essential part of the education of mechanical engineers. It represents the simplest application of the heat conduction equation: the one-dimensional, steady, case. The usual presentation of the subject involves solving the conduction equation for various boundary conditions. In this paper, two-port techniques are applied to fin heat transfer. This concept is more suitable for the training of engineers because it emphasizes the importance of the boundaries rather than the internal conduction. Besides this important conceptual aid, the matrix is a powerful aid in computations; making it much easier to solve arrangements with complicated geometry. In fact, the two-port representation makes it possible to use graph theory for the automatic solution of complicated heat-flow structures.