DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

ME 131A: Heat Transfer

 

In this course, I learned the principles of heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation with examples from the engineering of practical devices and systems. Topics include transient and steady conduction, conduction by extended surfaces, boundary layer theory for forced and natural convection, boiling, heat exchangers, and graybody radiative exchange.

 

The final project was to design and build a heat sink. The winning team would be the one whose heat sink dispersed the most heat.

 

Our first task was to create a model to analyze possible heat sink designs given varying fin diameters, lengths, and spacing. Here is our initial analysis.

 

 

 Ultimately, our analysis as well as manufacturing constraints lead to this final product.

 

 

It certainly wasn't as beautiful as we had initially hoped, but it did perform quite well, dispersing a respectable amount of heat for a handmade heat sink. Most importantly, I gained valuable experience in the machine shop using the mill, lathe, and arbor press.

 

 

Finally, here is my group's final report, highlighting our designs, as well as predicted and observed results.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.