Karen Ann Thole, Thesis Supervisor Henry Joseph Sommer III, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Pin fins flow visualization heat transfer oil flow visualization
Abstract:
This project uses an oil flow visualization technique to show the streamlines that appear around pin fins in a rectangular channel. Streamlines were visualized for pin fin arrangements with three rows and various spanwise and streamwise spacing. The streamlines show flow patterns around the pins which include wakes and horseshoe vortices. The changes in streamlines around the pin fins in these different arrangements give insight into the heat transfer potential of pin fins. Previous experiments have studied the effects of the aspect ratio, Reynolds number, and pin fin array spacing. All tests for this project were done at an aspect ratio of one and a Reynolds number of 10,000. In general, heat transfer increases as Reynolds number increases, aspect ratio increases, spanwise spacing decreases, and streamwise spacing decreases. The results of this project are consistent with these previously-found trends.
