Research progress on flow and heat transfer characteristics of fluids in metal foams

Abstract

Open-cell metal foam has a great potential for manufacturing compact heat exchangers in energy conservation systems due to the advantages of large specific surface area and high thermal conductivity. In this paper, the research progress on the flow and heat transfer characteristics of fluids in metal foams was reviewed, including the distribution characteristics in fuel cells, heat transfer of phase change materials, convection of dry air and wet air, pool boiling, flow boiling and condensation. The research results show that the metal foam can be applied to improve the performance of fuel cells and enhance the heat transfer of phase changer material in thermal energy storage systems; the metal foam provides better heat transfer performance than the traditional slit fins under dehumidifying conditions, and the surface modification on metal fibers enhances the boiling and condensation heat transfer characteristics. The correlations for predicting the heat transfer and flow characteristics of fluids in metal foams were summarized. Recommendations for further investigations on metal foams were proposed based on the surveyed literature.