Abstract

1-D Heat Conduction Equation for Fins

The governing equation for one dimensional heat conduction with
convection of fins is given by

( )
2
.
2
x
d T hp
k Q T T
dx A

+
- (1)

The Galerkin nite element method is applied to Equation
(1) to
obtain the element equations. A two-node element with linear
interpolation
functions is used and the temperature distribution in an element
expressed as
( ) ( ) ( )
1 1 2 2
T x = N x T + N x T -(2)
Where ( )
1
N x
& ( )
2
N x
are Shape Functions or Blending Functions and
1
T
&
2
T
are temperatures which define the element at nodes 1,2 respectively.

Substitution of the discretized solution (2) into the
governing
differential Equation E1 results in the residual integrals
( ) ( )
2
1
2
.
2
0
x
x i
x
d T hp
k Q T T N x Adx
dx A

1
+
1
]

1, 2 i
Or re-writing the above with
.
, , , , ,
x
k Q h p A T

as constants
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1
2
.
2
0 1, 2
x x x x
x i i i i
x x x x
d T
A k N x dx A Q N x dx hp T x N x dx hpT N x dx i
dx

+ +

-
(3)
Integrating the first term by parts,
( ) ( )
( )
2 2 2
1
1 1
2
2
x x x
i
x i x i x
x x x
dN x
d T dT dT
A k N x dx Ak N x A k dx
dx dx dx dx
1

1
]

Rearranging the terms after substituting the above in the equation (3)
( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1 1
.
1, 2
x x x x x
i
x i x i i i
x x x x x
dN x dT dT
A k dx hp T x N x dx Ak N x A QN x dx hpT N x dx i
dx dx dx

1
+ + +
1
]

The temperature distribution is
( ) ( ) ( )
1 1 2 2
T x = N x T + N x T
( ) ( ) ( )
1 2
1 2
T x N x N x
= T + T
d d d
dx dx dx
Substituting the above variation of temperature in Eqn.1
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
2 2
1 1
1 2 1 2
1 2 1 2
N x N x N x N x
T + T T + T
x x
i
x i
x x
dN x d d d d
Ak hp N x dx
dx dx dx dx dx
1 1
+
1 1
] ]

( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2
1 1 1
.
1, 2
x x x
x i i i
x x x
dT
Ak N x A Q N x dx hpT N x dx i
dx

1
+ +
1
]

The temperature distribution in vector form can be written as
( ) [ ] [ ] { }
1
1 2
2
T
T x N N N T
T


' )

Substituting the same in the above equation,
{ } [ ] [ ] { }
2 2
1 1
T x x
T
x
x x
dN dN
k A T dx hp N N T dx
dx dx
1
+
1
]

[ ] [ ] [ ]
2 2 2
1
1 1
.
x x x
T T T
x
x
x x
dT
A Q N dx hpT N dx k A N
dx

1
+ +
1
]

The above equation can be written as
( )
{ }
( )
{ }
( )
{ }
( )
{ }
e e e e
Q h g
k T f f f
1
+ +
]
Where
( )
[ ] [ ]
2 2
1 1
T x x
T
e
x
x x
dN dN
k k A dx hp N N dx
dx dx
1
1
+
1
]
]

( ) ( ) ( ) e e e
c h
k k k
1 1 1
+
] ] ]
;
( ) e
c
k
1
]
,
( ) e
h
k
1
]
are conductive and convective
portions of the matrix respectively.
Without loss of generality, we let
1 2
0, x x L so that interpolation
functions are
1
1
x
N
L
and
2
x
N
L

1
2
1
1
1 1
T
dN
dN
dx L
dN dx
L dx
dN
dx L L
1 1
1 1
1
1 1
1
]
1 1
1 1
] ]

1 1

1 1
] ]
[ ] [ ]
1
1
T
x
x x
L
N N
x L L
L
1

1
1
_

1
1
,
]
1
1
]
Now , the first term in the integration is
2
1
T x
x
x
dN dN
k A dx
dx dx
1 1
1 1
] ]

2
1
1
1 1
1
x
x
x
L
kA dx
L L
L

1
1

1

1
1
]
1
1
]

;
2
1
2 2
2 2
1 1
1 1
x
x
x
L L
k A dx
L L

1
1

1
1
]

2
0
1 1
1 1
L
x
k A
dx
L

1

;
2
1 1
.
1 1
x
k A
L
L

1

]


1 1
1 1
x
k A
L

1

]
Considering the second term
[ ] [ ] { } { }
2 2
1 1
1
1
x x
T
x x
x
x x
L
hp N N T dx hp T dx
x L L
L

1
1

1

1
1
]
1
1
]

2
1
2
2
1
1
1
x
x
x x
x
L L
L
hp dx
x x x
L L L
1
_

_
1

,
,
1

_ _
1

, ,
]

;
2
2
2
2
2
2
0
2
2
2
1
L
x x
x x
L L
L L
hp dx
x
x x
L
L L
1
_
+

1
,
1

1
1
]

2
2 3 2 3
2 3 3
L L L L
L
hp
L L L
1
+
1

1
1

1
]
;
2 1
3 6
1 2 6
6 3
L L
L
hp hp
L L
1
1
1

1
1
] 1
1
]
Forcing function Vectors on RHS include internal heat generation and
boundary flux terms
( )
{ }
1
0
2
0
L
e
Q
L
QN dx
f A
QN dx

' )

and
( )
{ }
0 x e
g x
x L
dT
dx
f k A
dT
dx

' )



;
0 1
2
;
x
x x
x L
q q
k A k A
q q

' ) ' )


Where
1
q and
2
q are boundary flux values at nodes 1 and 2
Tapered Fin Analysis
In a tapered fin, the area of
cross section A varies with x. By assuming a linear variation of area
from node i (local node 1) to node j (local node 2) of element e,
the area of cross section at a distance x from node i can be
expressed as

( ) ( ) ( )
i i j j
A x A N x A N x + where ( )
i
N x , ( )
j
N x are Blending Functions.
Where
1
1
x
N
L
and
2
x
N
L

2
1
0
T T x
L
x x
x
dN dN dN dN
k Adx k Adx
dx dx dx dx
1 1 1

1 1 1
] ] ]

2
0
1 1
1
1 1
L
x
i j
k x x
A A dx
L L L

1 1
_ _
+
1 1

, ,
] ]

2 2
2
1 1
1 1 2 2
j
x i
i
A
k A L L
A L
L L L
1 1
+
1 1

] ]
( )
{ }
1
1
0
1
2
0
1
1 2
e
h
N dx
hpT L
f hpT
N dx

' ) ' )

2
1 1
1 1 2
1 1
1 1 2
i j
x
i j
x
A A
k
L
L
A A
k
L
+ 1 1

1 1

] ]
+ 1 1

1 1

] ]
2
1
1 1
1 1 2
T x
i j
x
x
x
A A
k dN dN
k Adx
dx dx L
+ 1 1
1

1 1
1

]
] ]

Considering the second term

[ ] [ ]
2
1
x
T
x
h N N pdx

The variation of perimeter with x can be written as

( ) ( ) ( )
i i j j
p x p N x p N x +
0
2
1 1 2
2
1 2 2 0
1
1
L
L
x
x x
L
h pdx
x L L
L
N N N
h pdx
N N N

1
1

1

1
1
]
1
1
]
1

1
]

Where i=1,j=2
Now
2
2
1
0 0
1
1
L L
i j
x x x
N pdx p p dx
L L L
_
_ _ _
+

, , ,
,


3 2
0
1 1
L
i j
x x x
p p dx
L L L
_
_ _ _
+



, , ,
,

2 3 2 3
2 3 2 3
0
3 3 2
1
L
i j
x x x x x x
p p dx
L L L L L L
_
_ _
+ + +


, ,
,

After integration ,by substituting the limits we have,

( )
2
1
0
3
12
L
i j
L
N pdx p p +

Similarly other terms can be evaluated as ,

1 2
0 0
1
1
L L
i j
x x x x
N N pdx p p dx
L L L L
_
_ _ _ _
+

, , , ,
,

1 2
0
L
N N pdx

( )
12
i j
L
p p +
and
2
2
2
0 0
1
L L
i j
x x x
N pdx p p dx
L L L
_
_ _ _
+

, , ,
,

( )
2
2
0
3
12
L
i j
L
N pdx p p +

[ ] [ ]
2
1
3
3 3
12
x
T
i j i j
i j i j
x
p p p p
hL
h N N pdx
p p p p
+ +
1

1
+ +
]

Integrating the forcing functions,

[ ]
. .
0 0
1
L L
T
x
A
L
A N dx dx
x
A
L
Q Q
1
_

1
,
1

1
_
1
,
]

( )
0
1 1 2
6
L
i j i j
x x x L
A A dx A A
L L L
1
1
_ _
+ +
1 1
, ,
]
]

( )
0
1 2
6
L
i j i j
x x x L
A A dx A A
L L L
1
1
_ _
+ +
1
1
, ,
]
]

[ ]
[ ]
.
.
0
0
2
2
6
2
2
6
L
T i j
i j
L
T i j
a
a
i j
L A A
A N dx
A A
A A
hT L
hT p N dx
A A
Q
Q
+
1

1
+
]
+
1

1
+
]

Thus the new equation is

.
1
2
3
1 1
3 3
1 1 2 12
2 2
2 2
6 6
i j i j i j
x
i j i j
i j i j
a
i j i j
p p p p A A
k hL
p p p p
L
L A A A A q
hT L
A
A A A A q
Q
+ + + 1 1 1
+
1 1 1
+ +

] ] ]
+ +
1 1
+ +
' ) 1 1
+ +
] ]
Where k
x
thermal conductivity, which is the ability of the element to
conduct heat (assumed to be a constant)

.
Q
Internal heat generation
h Convection heat transfer coefficient
p Perimeter of the element under consideration
A Cross sectional area of the element under consideration

T

Temperature of the fluid sufficiently far from the surface

T Surface temperature