Constructal design of elliptical cylinders with heat generating for entropy generation minimization

Abstract

A heat dissipation model of discrete elliptical cylinders with heat generation on a thermal conduction pedestal cooled by forced convection is established. Constructal design is conducted numerically by taking the distributions of thermal conductivity and heat generating intensity as design variables, the dimensionless entropy generation rate (DEGR) as performance indicator. The optimal designs for discrete elliptical cylinders with heat generating are obtained respectively, i.e., there are optimal distributions of heat generating intensity with its fixed total amount of heat sources, and there are optimal distributions of thermal conductivity with its fixed total amount of heat sources. These optimums for minimum DEGRs are different at different Reynolds numbers of airflow. The heat generating intensity can be decreased one by one appropriately in the fluid flow direction to achieve the best effect. When the Reynolds number of airflow is smaller, the thermal conductivity of heat source can be increased one by one appropriately in the fluid flow direction to achieve the best effect; when the Reynolds number of airflow is larger, the thermal conductivity of each heat source should be equalized to achieve the best effect. The results can give thermal design guidelines for the practical heat generating devices with different materials and heat generating intensities.