Impact of Flow around Annular Fins on their Thermal Stresses and Strains

This study consider the impact of transient flow around an annular fin on the development of thermal stress and strain. The finite volume method was used to solve the flow equations and the finite element method to solve the thermal stress equations in the solid. The fin thermal stress results were solved for two general cases with and without flow around the fin. Moreover, two scenarios were considered for the case with the flow. First, the fin was analysed in free flow and then, to be more practical, the problem of flow around one fin among a group of fins was considered. The free flow results were compared to the case with no flow. The investigations are suggestive that the thermal stresses developing in the fin are initially similar in the two cases . Furthermore, the results show that the maximum tangential stress takes place at the same location in the two cases but it is exacerbated. In addition, the tangential is not symmetrical in the case with the flow and the maximum stress, although at the base of the fin, is located in the flow front. Moreover, in the case with the flow, the two-dimensional temperature distribution results in a considerable asymmetrical thermal strain and consequently, asymmetrical thermal stress none of which are observed in the case with no flow. A careful analysis of the flow around the fin shows radial temperature distribution information to be insufficient to determine the maximum effective stress.