Interstitial Heat Transfer Coefficient and Dispersion Conductivity in Compressed Metal Foam Heat Sinks

Abstract

This work experimentally and numerically investigates the heat transfer in uncompressed∕compressed metal foams. Experiments were conducted to obtain the thermal characteristics of a rectangular channel filled with aluminum foams using air as the fluid medium. The experimental data reveal that the uncompressed sample has a larger Nusselt number (Nu) than the compressed sample. The 0.93 porosity sample has the largest average Nu followed by the 0.7 porosity sample; the 0.8 porosity sample has the worst average Nu. The experimental data concerning the 0.93 porosity samples (uncompressed samples) were consistent with the numerical predictions obtained using the model for high-porosity metal foam, reported elsewhere. Finally, a numerical model to simulate flow and heat transfer characteristics in compressed metal foams is presented and the interstitial heat transfer coefficient and dispersion conductivity were semi-empirically determined.