Performance analysis of porous-based taper-shaped fin for enhanced heat transfer rate using cuckoo search algorithm

This paper deals with the thermal and fluid flow behavior of porous and non-porous fins. Initially, a solid heat sink with circular fins is analyzed and validated. Further work is done making circular tapered porous fin of the same volume and height as of uniform circular fin. The geometrical parameters are porosity (o = 0.1-0.92), pore diameter (d(p)), fiber diameter (d(f)), radius ratio (R*), and pores per inch (PPI = 10). Four different cases viz., case I (R* = 1.2), case II (R* = 1.5), case III (R* = 2), and case IV (R* = 4) of taper porous fins are considered in a computational domain with Reynolds number (Re) ranging 400-1900 (based upon channel inlet parameter) and air as working fluid. The Forchheimer-Brinkman extended Darcy model is considered to characterize the flow in porous media. The value of Nusselt number (Nu), friction factor (f), and thermal performance factor (TPF) is evaluated. Results reveal that, for case I at o = 0.92 and PPI = 10, the value of Nu and TPF is approximately 63% and 159% higher than solid circular fin at Re = 1876.11. For case IV, the reduction in pressure drop is approximately 21.15% compared to solid circular fin at Re = 1876.11. For optimum Nu, a cuckoo search optimization is evaluated using the response surface method. Upon examination, the optimum Nu is obtained at the combination of R* = 1.2, o = 0.92, and Re = 1876.11, which got validated against the numerical work with 0.15% accuracy.