A new minimum volume straight cooling fin taking into account the ``length of arc''. (Q1430772)

The authors consider the problem of determining the shape of a straight cooling fin of minimum volume without the usual ``length of arc'' assumption. They keep the conventional assumption of one-dimensionality of the temperature distribution and its linearity for the minimum volume fin. The main result is that the profile of the minimum volume fin is a circular arc. The geometric parameters of the profile are computed. Comparisons with Schmidt's parabolic optimum fin are also carried on.