Experimental and numerical analysis of effect of combined drop-shape pin fins and plate fins type heat sink under natural convection

As the junction temperature of a light-emitting diode (LED) is inversely proportional to its lifespan and efficiency. This study investigates the thermal performance of heat sink-based model with a drop-shaped pin fin for LED cooling under natural convection, experimentally, and numerically. The study used three distinct drop form pin fin arrays with variable vertical fin spacing (Sv = 25, 50, and 75 mm), with the best array being used in subsequent studies with variations in drop-shaped pin fin size (diameter DD and apex length LD). The heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number were obtained in the quantitative analysis of thermal performance. A numerical model with Boussinesq approximation for natural convection is used for this study and well-validated with experimental results. A qualitative investigation was also carried out utilizing numerical research to investigate velocity streamlines and their impacts on heat transfer enhancement in various configurations. An experimental test with conventional plate fin, circular pin fins were done for the verification of the test setup results and their results were compared with results calculated from the standard correlations presented in previous well-known literature. The maximum heat transfer coefficient was found to be 12.80 W/m2K for drop form pin fins with vertical fin spacing (Sv) equal to 75 mm, a diameter of 6 mm, and a length of 7.2 mm, and the corresponding Nusselt number was 94.85. Also, the maximum enhancement in Nusselt number was found to be (Nu/Nuplate fin) 3.11 corresponding to the conventional plate-fin heat sink. This comparison will help the industrialists determine innovative passive cooling technology for electronic devices such as LED street lights.