Enhancing Heat Removal by Optimizing Fin Configuration in Air Compressor.

This project deals with finding the optimum fin shape and size for the better heat removal from the compressor surface. Various parameters such as fin configuration, fin thickness, length, and number of fins are taken for optimization. Overheating and excess heating causes uneven thermal loading on the compressor surface. This thermally induced stresses can couple with pressure induced stresses and can abruptly alter the life of compressor. Increasing the convective heat transfer is attempted by increasing the surface area and introducing change in configuration of the fin surfaces. This change in configuration converts the fluid from laminar to turbulent or if the flow is already turbulent it enhance the turbulent intensity of the flow. This increases rapid mixing of hot and cold air as well as rate of heat transfer. CFD which finds to be a better alternative for proto based experimental technique is used to compare the thermal pattern over the compressor surface.