Quick estimate of the heat transfer characteristics of annular fins of hyperbolic profile with the power series method

This technical paper addresses an elementary analytic procedure for the approximate solution of the quasi-one-dimensional heat conduction equation (a generalized Bessel equation) that governs the temperature variation in annular fins of hyperbolic profile. This fin shape is of remarkable importance because its heat transfer performance is close to that of the annular fin of convex parabolic profile, the so-called optimal annular fin that is capable of delivering maximum heat transfer for a given volume of material [Zeitschrift des Vereines Deutscher Ingenieure 70 (1926) 885]. The salient feature of the analytic procedure developed here is that for realistic combinations of the two parameters: the enlarged Biot number and the normalized radii ratio, the truncated power series solutions embracing a moderate number of terms yields unprecedented results of excellent quality. The analytic results are conveniently presented in terms of the two primary quantities of interest in thermal design applications, namely the heat transfer rates and the tip temperature.