Experimental and Numerical Analysis of one Dimensional Heat Transfer on Open Cell Aluminum Foams

Year 2015, Volume: 28 Issue: 1, 149 - 159, 23.02.2015

Ahmet Sertkaya , Ali Ateş Kemal Altınışık Kevser Dinçer

Abstract

In this study, one dimensional heat transfer of open cell aluminum metal foams is investigated both experimentally and by using numerical methods as well. Open cell aluminum foams with pore densities of 10, 20 and 30 (Number of Pores Per Inch) PPI were shaped into heat exchangers. The foams having sizes of 200 x 100 x 20 mm were insulated on their three faces. Steady heat flux was maintained on the base section of the foam by heating a plate shaped coil electrically. Temperature distributions on the vertical sections and mostly on locations near heaters were measured with the thermocouples located on the aluminum foams. With the help of the recorded temperatures from the tests the graphs of open cell aluminum foams with pore densities of 10, 20 and 30 were plotted. First of all, one dimensional heat transfer equations were derived for the numerical solution of the system. The governing equations obtained were then discretized by using the Central Difference Method and finally solved with the Finite Difference Method. The results obtained were converted into graphs and compared with the empirical results obtained beforehand. The fastest drop in temperature close to the heater was observed at the foam with 10 PPI while the lowest falling rate took place at the foam with 30 PPI pore density. At an interval of three aluminum foams, the temperature difference was found to be higher near the heater and lower away from the heater. It was found that both experimental and numerical results are closely related.

Keywords

porous media, open-cell aluminum foam, convection-conduction heat transfer

References

• Mancin, S., Zilio, C., Cavallini, A., Rossetto, L., “Heat transfer during air flow in aluminum foams”, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 53: 4976–4984 (2010).
• Kim, S.Y., Paek, J.W., Kang, B.H., “Flow and heat transfer correlations for porous fin in plate- fin heat exchanger” J. Heat Transfer, 122: 572– 578 (2000).
• Bai, M., Chung, J.N., “Analytical and numerical prediction of heat transfer and pressure drop in open-cell metal foams”, International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 50: 869-880 (2011).
• Zhao, C.Y., Tassou, S.A., Lu, T.J., “Analytical considerations of thermal radiation in cellular metal foams with open cells”, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 51: 929–940 (2008).
• Writz, R.A., “A Semi-Empirical Model for Heat Porous Proceedings of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers National Heat Transfer Conference, Baltimore MD, (1997).
• Singh, R., Kasana, H.S., “Computational aspects of effective thermal conductivity of highly porous Engineering, 24 (13): 1841-1849 (2004).
• Li, W.Q., Qu, Z.G., He, Y.L., Tao, W.Q., “Experimental and numerical studies on melting phase change heat transfer in open-cell metallic foams filled with paraffin”, Applied Thermal Engineering, 37: 1-9 (2012).
• Bastawros, A.F., “Effectiveness of Open-Cell Metallic Foams for High Power Electronic Cooling”, Proceeding Symposium on the Thermal Management of Electronics IMECE, Anaheim CA (1998).
• Boomsma, K., Poulikakos, D., Zwick, F., “Metal Foams as Compact high Performance Heat Exchangers”, Mechanics of Materials, 35: 1161- 1176 (2003).
• Boyd, B., Hooman, K., “Air-cooled micro-porous heat exchangers for thermal management of fuel cells”, heat and Mass Transfer, 39: 363– 367 (2012).
• Ghosh, I., “Heat transfer correlation for high porosity open-cell foam”, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 52: 1488–1494 (2009).
• Babcsan, N., Meszaros, I., Hegman, N., “Thermal Measurements Materialwissenschaft und Werkstofftechnik, 34: 391–394 (2003).
• Dukhan, N., Quinones-Ramos, P.D., Cruz-Ruiz, E., Velez-Reyes, M., Scott, E.P., “One- dimensional heat transfer analysis in open-cell 10-ppi metal foam”, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 48: 5112–5120 (2005).
• Dukhan, N., Quinones, P., “Convective Heat Transfer Analysis of Open Cell Metal Foam for Solar Air Heaters”, Proceeding International Solar Energy Conference, (2003) Hawaii USA.
• Sertkaya, A.A., Altınısık, K., Dincer, K., “Experimental performance of aluminum finned heat exchangers and open-cell aluminum foam heat exchangers”, Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 36: 86–92 (2012).
• Kamath, M., Balaji, C., Venkateshan, S.P., “Experimental investigation of flow assisted mixed onvection in high porosity foams in vertical channels”, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 54: 5231–5241 (2011). www.m-pore.de 2013.
• Pan, H.L., Pickenacker, O., Pickenacker, K., Trimis, D., Möβbauer, S., Wawrzinek, K., Weber, T., “Experimental Determination of the Effective Heat Conductivities of Highly Porous Media”, Institute of Fluid Mechanics University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (2002) Erlangen Germany.
• Edmundo, C.R., “Modelling of heat transfer in open cell metal foams”, Master Thesis University of Puerto Rico (2004).
• Patankar, S.V., “Analytical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow”, (1980) New York, USA York.
• Kline, S.J., McClintock, F.A., “Describing uncertainties in single sample experiments”. Mech. Eng. 75: 385–387 (1953). Conductivity on Aluminum Foams”, of thermal Cauerstr, 4 D-91058