The design of fins for air-cooled cylinders

An analysis was made to determine the proportions of fins made of aluminum, copper, magnesium, and steel necessary to dissipate maximum quantities of heat for different fin widths, fin weights, and air-flow conditions. The analysis also concerns the determination of the optimum fin proportions when specified limits are placed on the fin dimensions. The calculation of the heat flow in the fins is based on experimentally verified, theoretical equations. The surface heat-transfer coefficients used with this equation were taken from previously reported experiments. In addition to the presentation of fin-design information, this investigation shows that optimum fin dimensions are inappreciably affected by the differences in air flow that are obtained with different air-flow arrangements or by small changes in the length of the air-flow path.