Numerical study of oblique fins under natural convection with experimental validation

3D numerical simulations are performed in order to investigate the thermofluids characteristics of the oblique fin heat sink under natural convection. Detailed parametric study is carried out on the effects of geometrical parameters, including main channel width, oblique channel width, fin length, fin width, offset ratio, and fin rotational angle. Through detailed sensitivity analysis, it is found that fin oblique angle and fin rotational angle are the most critical parameters affecting the performance of oblique fins; followed by the main channel width, fin length, and offset ratio. Yet, the effects of fin width and oblique channel width are very minor. Based on sensitivity analysis, an optimum oblique fin heat sink configuration is obtained and a novel symmetrical oblique fin is proposed and compared with the continuous fin heat sink. Subsequently, an experimental verification is made to validate the results of the optimum oblique fin heat sink. The simulation is in line with the experimental data, and the proposed oblique fin heat sink offers more than 3 C reduction in the maximum heat sink temperature when compared to the continuous fin heat sink.