Enhanced heat transfer in finned designs for biomedical materials in a pneumatic extruder

Abstract

This study presents an integrated experimental and numerical investigation of heat transfer and melting efficiency in a pneumatic-based extruder for synthetic biomedical materials (SBMs). The research focuses on understanding phase transition dynamics and optimizing fin configurations to enhance thermal performance. A computational model was developed and validated against experimental data, demonstrating strong agreement in melting fraction evolution, phase transition characteristics, and temperature distribution. Velocity field analysis confirmed that thermal conduction played a dominant role throughout the melting process, as the high material viscosity restricted buoyancy-driven flow. The results reveal that the melting process is predominantly governed by conduction due to the high viscosity of polyethylene glycol-polycaprolactone (PEG-PCL), which suppresses natural convection. Comparative analysis of various fin inclinations highlights that a 40° fin configuration provides the most significant enhancement, reducing melting time by 21% compared to the no-fin case. Enhancement ratio analysis further confirms that proper fin inclination improves heat penetration and overall melting efficiency. Additionally, temperature distribution and melt fraction evolution showed that heat penetration was initially concentrated near the heated surface before diffusing inward. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing thermal management strategies in pneumatic extrusion systems for biomedical applications.