Analytical solutions and conservation laws of models describing heat transfer through extended surfaces

Abstract

The search for solutions to the important differential equations arising in extended surface heat transfer continues unabated. Extended surfaces, in the form of longitudinal fins are considered. First we consider the steady state problem and then the transient heat transfer models. Here, thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient are assumed to be functions of temperature. Thermal conductivity is considered to be given by the power law in one case and by the linear function of temperature in the other; whereas heat transfer coefficient is only given by the power law. Explicit analytical expressions for the temperature profile, fin efficiency and heat flux for steady state problems are derived using the one-dimensional Differential Transform Method (1D DTM). The obtained results from 1D DTM are compared with the exact solutions to verify the accuracy of the proposed method. The results reveal that the 1D DTM can achieve suitable results in predicting the solutions of these problems. The effects of some physical parameters such as the thermo-geometric fin parameter and thermal conductivity gradient, on temperature distribution are illustrated and explained. Also, we apply the two-dimensional Differential Transform Method (2D DTM) to models describing transient heat transfer in longitudinal fins. Furthermore, conservation laws for transient heat conduction equations are derived using the direct method and the multiplier method, and finally we find Lie point symmetries associated with the conserved vectors.