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Virginia Tech

Heat Transfer from Low Aspect Ratio Pin Fins

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The performance of many engineering devices from power electronics to gas turbines is limited by thermal management. Pin fins are commonly used to augment heat transfer by increasing surface area and increasing turbulence. The present research is focused on but not limited to internal cooling of turbine airfoils using pin fins. Although the pin fins are not limited to a single shape, circular cross-sections are most common. The present study examines heat transfer from a single row of circular pin fins with the row oriented perpendicular to the flow. The configurations studied have spanwise spacing to pin diameter ratios of two, four, and eight. Low aspect ratio pin fins were studied whereby the channel height to pin diameter was unity. The experiments are carried out for a Reynolds number range of 5000 to 30,000. Heat transfer measurements are taken on both the pin and on the endwall covering several pin diameters upstream and downstream of the pin row. The results show that the heat transfer augmentation relative to open channel flow is highest for the smallest spanwise spacing for the lowest Reynolds number flows. The results also indicate that the pin fin heat transfer is higher than on the endwall.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Mechanical Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Mechanical Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2006

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Lyall, Michael Eric
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Thole, Karen A.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Diller, Thomas E.
  • Vick, Brian L.

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-06072006-150605
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/33470

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Lyall, Michael Eric. Heat Transfer from Low Aspect Ratio Pin Fins. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/33470