A local thermal non-equilibrium analysis of hydro dynamic and heat transfer characteristics in a tube filled with metal foam

A local thermal non-equilibrium model has been considered for the case of a tube fully Tiled with metal foam. The influence of metal foam key parameterson hydrodynamic and heat transfer characteristics has been investigated, such as pore size and porosity. The results show that the velocityin the metal foam tube becomes more uniform than that in an empty one, also a higher velocity gradient and thinner boundary layer are found. The pore size has a moreobvious influence on the pressure drop than porosity does. When the metal foam has a bigger pore size and a higher porosity, the pressure drop in the tube becomes lower. Otherwise, a smaller pore size and a lower porosity lead to a higher pressure drop, but an enhancement of the heat transfer. Considering the pressure drop and heat transfer both, the results indicate that the most appropriate pore size is 1~2 mm.