Understanding heat transfer and flow characteristics of additively manufactured pin fin arrays through laser-induced fluorescence and particle image velocimetry

This article investigates the thermal and hydrodynamic performance of three distinct additively manufactured fin array configurations in a cooling channel: cylindrical, optimized, and perforated fin. The optimized fin design was achieved through the application of a genetic algorithm (GA) to enhance heat transfer efficiency. Experimental assessments were conducted to quantify the heat transfer characteristics and pressure drop across these fin configurations where water is the working fluid and the Reynolds number ranges from 1100 to 5100, along with visualization using Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) techniques. Results reveal that the optimized fin array, generated through genetic algorithm optimization, demonstrates a notable enhancement in heat transfer coefficient, exhibiting an improvement of up to 44 % when compared to the traditional cylindrical fin configuration. Furthermore, the perforated fined array showcases a 63 % enhancement in heat transfer performance compared to the cylindrical fin array without apparent increase of pressure drop. The utilization of LIF and PIV techniques offers insights into the heat transfer and fluid velocity distributions within the cooling channel. These visualization methods provide a profound understanding of the flow patterns, flow mixing phenomena, and heat exchange associated with the pin fin designs, facilitating a deeper comprehension of the underlying heat transfer mechanisms.