Modeling and Optimization of Heat Transfer Rate in a Porous Spiral Fin Using RSM and Sensitivity Analysis: Homotopy Perturbation Approach

ABSTRACT Recent developments have increased the demand for porous fins due to their wide use in thermal systems such as heat exchangers and high‐temperature devices. In this work, heat transfer in a porous spiral fin under natural convection and radiation, along with internal heat generation, is examined. The purpose of this study is the improvement of the heat transfer rate through the response surface methodology technique. The influence of crucial parameters and the contribution of each one are analyzed using a sensitivity analysis approach. The Darcy model is employed to represent the porous medium, and the governing energy equation is solved using the homotopy perturbation method. In the present study, the thermal distribution of a porous spiral fin is rigorously examined for both and (spiral configuration). When the value of the pitch is increased, there is a marked improvement in the temperature distribution. In addition, the spiral configuration has better performance regarding heat transfer compared to the circular fin (). This is mainly due to the improved heat transfer surface area and more interaction between the fluid and the thermal boundary layer. A 400% increase in , , and reduced the temperature by 34.32%, 32.79%, and increased it by 96.91%, respectively. A 200% increase in the parameter decreased the temperature by 21.94%, whereas a 200% increase in the parameter increased the temperature by 2.43%. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis of the heat transfer rate shows that the convection parameter has the dominant effect, shifting from negative‐to‐positive sensitivity with increasing values due to enhanced convection.