Simulation intricacies of open-cell metal foam fin subjected to convective flow

Abstract

An exact 3D digital image of 10 PPI open-cell metal foam matrix used in this study has been generated through X-ray micro-computed tomography. The precise foam geometrical model, in combination with the commercial computational software, facilitates synthesizing typical thermal applications of metal foam subjected to convective fluid flow and creates unique opportunity of probing some of the finer fluid flow aspects usually beyond the scope of most of the experimental investigations. Simulation of fluid flow through 10 PPI open porous metal foam subjected to constant terminal temperature has been carried out and validated a priori with the experimental data. The convective flow simulation, being computationally intensive, has been carried out in a small piece of metal foam to eventually extrapolate the data over the original length. The practical limitations of foam modelling leading to the deviations between experimental data and the predicted results have been explained in details. Subsequently, the temperature and flow fields have been probed to understand the complicated flow physics around the metal foam strut. This study gives a better insight of the state of the art research and development in the field of high porosity open-cell metal foam. The computational predictions have also been compared at length with the analytical outcomes based on the simple cubic model of metal foam. This work, in all, provides the end-user an overview of the associated intricacies while considering the computational, experimental and simplified models for open-cell metal foams when used as extended heat transfer surfaces or fins.