This paper reports an experimental and numerical study of forced convection in high porosity (ε∼0.89–0.97) metal foams. Experiments have been conducted with aluminum metal foams in a variety of porosities and pore densities using air as the fluid medium. Nusselt number data has been obtained as a function of the pore Reynolds number. In the numerical study, a semi-empirical volume-averaged form of the governing equations is used. The velocity profile is obtained by adapting an exact solution to the momentum equation. The energy transport is modeled without invoking the assumption of local thermal equilibrium. Models for the thermal dispersion conductivity, and the interstitial heat transfer coefficient, are postulated based on physical arguments. The empirical constants in these models are determined by matching the numerical results with the experimental data obtained in this study as well as those in the open literature. Excellent agreement is achieved in the entire range of the parameters studied, indicating that the proposed treatment is sufficient to model forced convection in metal foams for most practical applications. [S0022-1481(00)01903-4]
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Forced Convection in High Porosity Metal Foams
V. V. Calmidi,
V. V. Calmidi
CAMPmode, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0427
11
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R. L. Mahajan
R. L. Mahajan
CAMPmode, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0427
Search for other works by this author on:
V. V. Calmidi
11
CAMPmode, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0427
R. L. Mahajan
CAMPmode, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0427
Contributed by the Heat Transfer Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF HEAT TRANSFER. Manuscript received by the Heat Transfer Division, May 17, 1999; revision received, Feb. 14, 2000. Associate Technical Editor: R. Douglass.
J. Heat Transfer. Aug 2000, 122(3): 557-565 (9 pages)
Published Online: February 14, 2000
Article history
Received:
May 17, 1999
Revised:
February 14, 2000
Citation
Calmidi, V. V., and Mahajan, R. L. (February 14, 2000). "Forced Convection in High Porosity Metal Foams ." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. August 2000; 122(3): 557–565. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1287793
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