Metal Foam Research Articles

Thermal Properties of Disodium Hydrogen Phosphate Dodecahydrate–Coated Metal Foam/Sodium Acetate Trihydrate Composite as Phase Change Material

Abstract Salt hydrates, like the sodium acetate trihydrate (SAT), possess a remarkable ability to store copious amounts of thermal energy, thanks to their ingenious utilization of a high latent heat of fusion. This unique property makes them a compelling choice for various energy storage applications. In this study, aluminum and copper foams with pore sizes of 40, 80, and 110 pores per inch (PPI) coated with disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate were prepared, and their effects on the SAT solidification temperature, latent heat of fusion, and thermal conductivity were investigated. The samples' thermal conductivity was measured using the guarded heat flow method. Thermal properties, including latent heat of fusion and supercooling were measured using the T-History method. The results showed that the metal foam matrix is an effective method of enhancing the thermal conductivity of SAT while occupying a small volume of the composite. The copper foam with a PPI of 80 was able to increase the effective thermal conductivity to 2.62 W/(m⋅K), an increase of 388.15% compared to pure SAT while occupying approximately 6.5% of the composite volume. The T-History results showed a solidification temperature of 57.52 °C along with a super cooling of 3.28 °C for the same sample set. Furthermore, it was also found that copper samples significantly outperformed the aluminum ones, despite the higher porosity.

A Comparative Blast Mitigation Performance Evaluation of Metallic Sandwich Panels with Honeycomb, Corrugated, Auxetic, and Foam Cores

Due to the high energy absorption capability and excellent bending strength of the sandwich panels, they are mostly preferred as protective structures against explosive blast attacks. The evaluation of their blast-mitigation characteristics through experiments is highly dangerous, costly, time-consuming, and polluting for the environment. Therefore, in this presented work, a series of numerical analyses were performed to evaluate the blast mitigation of the outstanding sandwich panels with honeycomb, corrugated, auxetic, and foam cores. The masses of sandwich panels were kept constant, and their areal densities were maintained constant throughout the study to effectively compare their performance under identical air blast loading conditions. To apply the air blast loads to the designed sandwiches, 1–3[Formula: see text]kg of spherical-shaped trinitrotoluene charges were used for a 100[Formula: see text]mm stand-off distance. The sandwiches are made of high-strength AL-6XN steel and crushable aluminum foam. The rate-dependent Johnson–Cook constitutive model of plasticity and the crushable foam model with volumetric hardening were used for the evaluation of sandwich panels’ plastic deformations. The findings of the work depicted that the honeycomb core is more efficient than the other core structures of the same masses because the sandwich panels with honeycomb core provide smaller back skin deflections, globalized core crushing, and higher core energy absorption than the other sandwich panels for extreme conditions of air blast loading.

Two-Dimensional Nanorod-Shaped Co(II) Coordination Polymer on Three-Dimensional Metallic Foam: A Hybrid Platform for Electrochemical Oxidation of Glucose.

This study unveils a novel electrochemical biosensor for monitoring glucose in biological fluids by employing nanorods of a cobalt-bispyridyl/dicarboxylate framework grown in a layer-by-layer manner on a highly porous nickel substrate. The hybrid microporous system has a bicatalytic effect on glucose oxidation due to the synergistic catalytic impact of the nickel and cobalt ions with varying oxidation states as electroactive sites. In addition, the controlled growth of inorganic-organic frameworks changes the mechanism of electron transfer from a diffusion-controlled process to an adsorption-controlled process, thus yielding a low onset oxidation potential (∼0.21 V/Ag-AgCl) and a high current intensity (∼1 mA) for the oxidation of glucose in alkaline media. A fast response time (∼2 s) and a reasonably high sensitivity (0.14 μA μM-1) within a broad linear range (40-360 μM) have determined the suitability and superiority of the hybrid electrode for glucose monitoring compared to many metal-organic-based biosensors. The facile fabrication process of the Co(II) coordination polymer/Ni substrate with a large surface area that benefits from the synergetic catalytic activity of nickel-cobalt hybrids may pave the way for the development of novel hybrid electrodes for biosensors and direct glucose fuel cells.

Reduction of Air Pollution from IC Engine Exhausts Through Condensation with Novel Porous Copper Metal Foams

Reduction of Air Pollution from IC Engine Exhausts Through Condensation with Novel Porous Copper Metal Foams

Characterization of the Aluminium-Based Metal Foam Properties for Automotive Applications

AbstractMetal foams are solids where the gas is filled inside uniformly in the metal matrix. Blowing agent supplies air inside the parent metal, and metal foam has emerged to be a promising material because of its low density, high absorption capacity, low thermal conductivity and high strength which finds its huge applications in automobile components. The present work deals with the application of the aluminium metal foam with different densities 200 and 400 kg/m3 in automobiles. Various tests such as toughness, hardness, bending and compression are carried out for four chosen densities, and the values are compared with the aluminium base metal. The result showed that the hardness value increased significantly by 24.48% with the rise in the density from 200 to 400 kg/m3. Maximum modulus of resilience for the low-density specimen is found to be 2.21 MJ/m3. Surface topography showed irregular pore shapes with discontinuity, resulting in a loss of cell integrity with the neighbouring cell walls. This affected the performance of the foam significantly. Thermal experiments were carried out to determine the thermal conductivity where thermal conductivity increased by 122% with the rise in the density from 200 to 400 kg/m3. Based on the results, it is concluded that aluminium foam with density 400 kg/m3 can be recommended for use in automobile applications due to its lightweight properties, which contribute to improving fuel efficiency, impact absorption capacity and the vehicle’s speed. Additionally, the air trapped within the foam cells serves as a sound barrier and insulator in cars.

Cutting failure behavior of foam core sandwich plates

During the ship, collisions with reefs or grounding may cause damage to the hull of ships made of sandwich plates. The cutting failure mechanism of sandwich panels is still not fully understood. In this paper, the failure behavior of metal foam sandwich plates under cutting load by a wedge-shaped indenter is studied through analytical, experimental, and numerical methods. An analytical model is proposed to describe the cutting failure behavior of foam core sandwich plates. Based on experimental results, three distinct failure modes of foam sandwich plates with varying thicknesses are observed. Numerical simulations are performed, and analytical and numerical results capture experimental results reasonably. The effects of core thickness, face-sheet thickness, and tip angle and cutting angle of wedge indenter on the failure mode, load-carrying capacity and energy absorption performance of the sandwich plates are explored. The present analytical model can effectively predict the cutting failure behavior of sandwich plates.

Enhancing thermal-hydraulic performance in heat exchangers with metal foam inserts: a comprehensive experimental investigation

ABSTRACT This research investigates the use of metal foam inserts to enhance the thermal-hydraulic performance of double-tube heat exchangers, relevant for energy-efficient systems such as solar flat plate collectors. Motivated by the need for improved heat transfer efficiency, this study hypothesizes that metal foam integration can significantly boost performance. Through systematic experimental study, the impact of metal foam inserts on heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics is comprehensively evaluated across various configurations, spanning horizontal and vertical orientations. Experimental evaluations were conducted on four configurations, including both conventional and metal foam-integrated heat exchangers in horizontal and vertical orientations, using water as the working fluid and Nickel metal foam with 0.9 porosity and 10 PPI in the annular space. The findings highlight significant enhancements in heat transfer performance with metal foam integration across both horizontal and vertical heat exchanger configurations compared to conventional counterparts, particularly showcasing superior effectiveness and efficiency in the horizontal configuration. Results show that metal foam integration substantially enhances heat transfer, with horizontal configurations exhibiting a 14.56% higher heat transfer coefficient than vertical ones. Additionally, the comprehensive performance index improved by 1.17 times, indicating a better balance between heat transfer enhancement and pressure loss. These findings were validated against established correlations from the literature, confirming the superior effectiveness of horizontal metal foam heat exchangers.

Deep learning-based prediction of velocity and temperature distributions in metal foam with hierarchical pore structure

Constrained by the substantial computational time required for numerical simulation, a deep learning technique is applied to investigate fluid flow and heat transfer processes in metal foam with a hierarchical pore structure. This work adopted a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) combining U-Net architecture to predict velocity and temperature distributions, alongside corresponding permeability and overall heat transfer coefficient. This approach demonstrates excellent capability in intricate image segmentation. The training sets were acquired by lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) simulations. The CNN model, trained on a substantial amount of data, demonstrates remarkable precision, exhibiting mean relative errors of 0.57% for permeability prediction and 2.27% for overall heat transfer coefficient prediction. Moreover, in CNN prediction, a broader range of structure parameters and boundary conditions beyond those in the training set was used to evaluate the practicability of the trained CNN model. In contrast to numerical simulation, the CNN model economizes approximately 95.41% and 99.57% of computational time for velocity and temperature distribution prediction, respectively, providing a novel approach for exploring transport processes in metal foam with hierarchical pore structure.

Optimization of the thermal performance of a lobed triplex-tube solar thermal storage system equipped with a phase change material

The thermal performance of a PCM-based triple-tube lobed heat exchanger storage system is here simulated and optimized, including performance improvements via lobed surfaces, Y-shaped fins, dispersed multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and metal foams, to be used in combination, or singly. Such computations are done with the finite volume method under different operating conditions. The reason behind this study is to look for solutions to improve the poor thermal performance of phase change materials (PCMs) as thermal energy storage materials, that limits their compactness and instantaneous heat stored/released. This is the first time that a throughout analysis of this aspect is presented. The result showed that higher modified Stefan number allow to improve melting time of a 50.88 %. The inclusion of lobes and fins resulted in a reduction of roughly 30.54 % in time needed for melting completion, compared to straight tubes. This reduction increases to 74.26 % when lobes are combined with both nanoparticles and metal foam, and to 73.60 % with just foam. The best solution also provides a 228.34 W mean heat rate. This study becomes an option to design tube-in-tube energy storage systems, where the best improvement is achieved by considering a lobed surface together with nano/PCM and foam, whereas the highest enhancement comes from using a metal foam.

Boiling heat transfer characteristics of distributed jet array impingement on metal foam covers with different wettability

Wettability may have significant influence on jet impingement boiling on metal foam, but the effect mechanism of metal foam wettability remains unclear. In this study, the boiling heat transfer characteristics of distributed jet array impingement on hydrophobic and hydrophilic metal foam covers were experimentally researched and compared with those on uncoated metal foam covers to analyze the influence of wettability. The experimental conditions cover contact angles of 14.0–158.7°, pore densities of 20–40 PPI, porosities of 92 %-97 %, thicknesses of 3.0–5.0 mm, and jet velocities of 0.5–4.0 m·s−1. The results show that, the obtained maximum heat flux and maximum heat transfer coefficient are up to 538.1 W cm−2 and 57.9 Kw m−2 K−1, respectively; the hydrophobic metal foam cover has a 4.8 K lower surface superheated degree at the onset of nucleate boiling, but a 7.5 % lower maximum heat transfer coefficient compared with the uncoated one; the hydrophilic metal foam cover shows a less deterioration after the departure from nucleate boiling but a 5.3 K higher surface superheated degree at the onset of nucleate boiling than those of the uncoated one. A new correlation for boiling heat transfer coefficients was developed with a mean relative error of 9.75 %.

Morphology of Copper Nanofoams for Radiation Hydrodynamics and Fusion Applications Investigated by 3D Ptychotomography.

The performance of metal and polymer foams used in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), inertial fusion energy (IFE), and high-energy-density (HED) experiments is currently limited by our understanding of their nanostructure and its variation in bulk material. We utilized an X-ray-free electron laser (XFEL) together with lensless X-ray imaging techniques to probe the 3D morphology of copper foams at nanoscale resolution (28 nm). The observed morphology of the thin shells is more varied than expected from previous characterizations, with a large number of them distorted, merged, or open, and a targeted mass density 14% less than calculated. This nanoscale information can be used to directly inform and improve foam modeling and fabrication methods to create a tailored material response for HED experiments.

Design, analysis and development of a proton exchange membrane in fuel cell

This research presents the design and fabrication of a Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) utilising open pore cellular metal foam as the material for the flow plate. Efficient housing designs are suggested for both the hydrogen and oxygen sides, achieved by implementing. The study identifies the flow regime via the open pore cellular metal foam flow plate using Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modelling and analysis techniques. Energy, environmental and economic analyzes (4E) and multi-objective optimization of a PEM fuel cell equipped with coolant channels Energy analysis of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with an open-ended anode using agglomerate model: A CFD study A transient heat and mass transfer CFD simulation for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) with a dead-ended anode channel. This research can provide appropriate references and recommendations for future Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) flow channel designs. The performance improvements of flow channel designs become significant at elevated current density, and with the output voltage increasing to 25.8 %. The estimated performance power of the fuel cell was 6 W, meaning that it was unlikely that the 10 W target would be achieved. In reality, the designs proved to have an excellent open circuit voltage of over 0.9 V, however, the maximum current achieved was below the target, and thus limiting the power to only about 2.1 Watts. The purpose of this paper is to give a general theoretical guidance for current and future relevant R&D activities aiming at high-performance, durable, and low-cost fuel cells as well as a thorough overview of the issues, advancements, and perspectives of the flow-field designs for bipolar plates in PEMFC.

Effect of graphene reinforcements on the natural frequencies of metal foams sandwich spherical panels situated on Kerr elastic foundation considering moisture changes

Effect of graphene reinforcements on the natural frequencies of metal foams sandwich spherical panels situated on Kerr elastic foundation considering moisture changes

Advancements in Coordination Chemistry and Trends in the Chemical Industry: Applications and Implications

Abstract: Metal foams offer a compelling combination of properties, including low density, sound absorption, high compressive strength, and stiffness. This project focuses on the damping behavior of aluminum foams for applications in automobiles and various industries. Aluminum foams excel in being lightweight, exhibiting high compressive strength, and offering excellent stiffness. However, their wear resistance is a limitation. To address this and enhance durability, a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating is applied to the surface. The complex geometry and surface of aluminum foams pose a challenge for the coating process. Therefore, the project employs the well-established cataphoretic deposition technique, an electro-chemical process. This research investigates the potential of carbon-coated aluminum foam for vibration mitigation in automobiles and industrial applications by analyzing its damping properties and improved wear resistance through the DLC coating

An inspection of the metal-foam beam considering torsional dynamic responses

Metal foam is a multifunctional material with a lower specific weight, high stiffness and compressive strength, and high energy absorption. These remarkable properties make metal foams a promising candidate for conventional materials in different industrial fields. Despite numerous researches on mechanical behavior either static or dynamic of structures made of metal foams, torsional vibration analysis of metal foam structures is still uninvestigated. In this investigation, the influence of various imperfection distribution patterns on the torsional dynamic response of metal foam beams is examined within the framework of Timoshenko-Gere's theory. Two common materials i.e. SUS304 and Aluminum foams are considered the constructive materials of structure. Moreover, three imperfection distribution patterns are taken into account. The virtual work's principle has been employed to derive the torsional governing equation of metal foam beams. Then, the derived governing equation has been solved via an analytical method. The accuracy of the employed methodology has been compared with the findings of former research in the literature. Finally, the influences of different notable parameters on the variation of natural torsional frequency have been examined and demonstrated in a group of tables and diagrams.

Mechanical Properties and Deformation Behavior of Open-Cell Type Aluminum Foams with Structural Conditions and Alloy Composition

Open-cell type aluminum foams with various structural conditions and alloy compositions were manufactured using the replication casting process. The porosity of the foams ranged from 55% to 62%, with pore sizes of 0.7~1.0 mm, 1.0~2.0 mm, and 2.8~3.4 mm. The alloys employed included commercial A356 and A383, as well as Al-6Mg-(0, 2, 4, 6)Si alloys. Compression tests were conducted under various conditions of the foams, and the results were comparatively analyzed based on the detailed structural conditions and alloy compositions. It was observed that for the same alloy composition and equivalent porosity, a reduction in pore size led to an increased number of cell walls, enhancing energy dispersion and resulting in higher compressive yield strength and energy absorption. Under the same pore size, a decrease in porosity increased the relative density and cell wall thickness, leading to improved compressive yield strength and energy absorption. Furthermore, compressive evaluation based on alloy composition revealed the influence of the inherent mechanical properties of the material on the mechanical properties of open-cell type aluminum foams. Specifically, it was confirmed that alloys with higher ductility exhibited elastic behavior of the internal cells under external stress, significantly influencing the energy absorption of foams.

Numerical investigation of methane steam reforming in the packed bed installed with the fin-metal foam

Methane steam reforming via packed bed reactors currently is the primary method for industrial hydrogen produce worldwide. Optimizing the structure of packed bed reactors is an effective approach to enhance the hydrogen yield. This study introduces an innovative structure, the fin-metal foam, combined into a packed bed reactor. A numerical investigation was conducted by the new coupling simulation way, which consists of the equivalent medium model, the Darcy extended Forchheimer flow model and the local thermal non-equilibrium model. A conventional reactor, a reactor installed with a metal foam and a reactor installed with the fin-metal foam were compared. It was found that the fin-metal foam structure improves the performance of flow, heat transfer and hydrogen production. By comparing with the conventional reactor, the fin-metal foam structure reduces the energy dissipation by 35.13 %, increases the fluid temperature by 23 K and improves the overall heat transfer coefficient by 28.59 %. The hydrogen mass flow per catalyst mass per energy dissipation was employed to evaluate the comprehensive hydrogen production performance. The fin-metal foam structure leads to a notable improvement of 113.36 %. These findings suggest a promising way for improving the industrial hydrogen produce, with benefits including reduced energy consumption and catalyst usage.

Improvement of Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage Rate for Domestic Solar Water Heater Systems Using Anisotropic Layers of Metal Foam

Latent Heat Transfer Thermal Energy Storage (LHTES) units are crucial in managing the variability of solar energy in solar thermal storage systems. This study explores the effectiveness of strategically placing layers of anisotropic and uniform metal foam (MF) within an LHTES to optimize the melting times of phase-change materials (PCMs) in three different setups. Using the enthalpy–porosity approach and finite element method simulations for fluid dynamics in MF, this research evaluates the impact of the metal foam’s anisotropy parameter (Kn) and orientation angle (ω) on thermal performance. The results indicate that the configuration placing the anisotropic MF layer to channel heat towards the lower right corner shortens the phase transition time by 2.72% compared to other setups. Conversely, the middle setup experiences extended melting periods, particularly when ω is at 90°—an increase in Kn from 0.1 to 0.2 cuts the melting time by 4.14%, although it remains the least efficient option. The findings highlight the critical influence of MF anisotropy and the pivotal role of ω = 45°. Angles greater than this significantly increase the liquefaction time, especially at higher Kn values, due to altered thermal conductivity directions. Furthermore, the tactical placement of the anisotropic MF layer significantly boosts thermal efficiency, as evidenced by a 13.12% reduction in the PCM liquefaction time, most notably in configurations with a lower angle orientation.

Three-dimensional simulation of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with non-integrated metal foam as flow distributor

In proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), the presence of metal foam in the flow channels improves the polarity diagram and increases the cell generated power, but this leads to an increase in pressure drop and, as a result, an increase in parasitic power. In this study, two types of non-integrated arrangements of metal foam are introduced, which, in addition to having high generated power, have lower pressure drop, and subsequently, lower parasitic power, and will also result in a more uniform distribution of temperature and current density. In the first arrangement, which is called IPTG, an abbreviation of Increased Porosity Toward the gas diffusion layer (GDL), the channels are divided into four equal parts with variable porosities from 0.65 to 0.95, in such a way that the metal foam layer with the highest porosity (0.95) is located in the closest area to the GDL. In the second arrangement which is called Reduced Porosity Toward the GDL, the metal foam layer with the least porosity (0.65) is located in the closest area to the GDL. To make a better comparison between the present model and the conventional one, the net power parameter with subtracting parasitic power from generated electrical power of the fuel cell is calculated for all models. The numerical study of this paper is conducted by developing a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model by employing user-defined functions. The results show that the net power of the PEMFC with IPTG arrangement is 3.8 % higher than that of the one with integrated metal foam arrangement with a porosity of 0.95. Also, the higher the pores per inch (PPI) of metal foam used in the non-integrated metal foam model, the greater the net power of the fuel cell, so that, the net power of PEMFC with IPTG arrangement with PPI=80 is 3.2 % more than that of PPI=20.

Optimized PI-PDF active structural acoustic control of smart FG GPL-reinforced closed-cell metallic foam sandwich plate

This study investigates Active Structural Acoustic Control (ASAC) applied to sandwich plates featuring Functionally Grade (FG) porous Graphene-Platelet-Reinforced Piezoelectric (GPLRP) materials. These plates incorporate a core layer with internal pores and GPLs dispersed in a metal matrix, along with piezoelectric sensors and actuators. Using a spatial state-space formulation based on linear 3D piezoelasticity theory, a semi-analytical solution is derived for the vibroacoustic response of these sandwich plates. The mechanical properties of the porous core are modeled using a closed-cell metal foam. The effects of various parameters, including porosity distributions, porosity coefficient, weight fractions of nanofiller, and geometric parameters on the radiation efficiency and radiated sound power have been investigated. Then, the validation of the proposed model is examined by comparing the natural frequencies calculated in the present study to those from the literature. This comparison allows us to assess the accuracy and reliability of our model against established findings. Radiated sound power reduction from mechanically excited structures is achieved by employing a dual-stage Proportional Integral–Proportional Derivative with Filter (PI-PDF) controller, optimized using Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO). Finally, several numerical simulations are conducted to validate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed active control strategy.