Experiments on In-line Pin Fin Arrays and Performance Comparisons with Staggered Arrays

Heat transfer and pressure drop experiments were performed for in-line pin fin arrays to obtain basic data to complement available information for staggered arrays. The experimental data were utilized as input to analyses aimed at establishing performance relationships between in-line and staggered arrays. In the experiments, mass transfer measurements via the naphthalene sublimation technique were employed to determine the row-by-row distribution of the heat (mass) transfer coefficient. Fully developed conditions prevailed for the fourth row and beyond. In general, the fully developed heat transfer coefficients for the in-line array are lower than those for the staggered array, but the pressure drop is also lower. The deviations between the two arrays increase with increasing fin height. With regard to performance, the in-line array transfers more heat than the staggered array under conditions of equal pumping power and equal heat transfer area. On the other hand, at a fixed heat load and fixed mass flow rate, the staggered array requires less heat transfer surface than the in-line array.