Numerical simulation of convective heat transfer in metal foam filled pipes

2D convective heat transfer enhancement in metal foam filled pipe is numerically simulated. The momentum equation is formulated based on the Brinkman-Forchheimer extended Darcy model, and the energy equations for both solid and fluid are established following the two-equation non-equilibrium model. The computational code is validated by the experimental data from metal foam filled channel. The numerical results show that the Nusselt number increases when porosity decreases or pore density increases, the Nusselt number also rises with the decreasing thermal conductivity ratio of fluid to solid. Metal foam filled pipe enables to enhance the heat transfer greatly but with a more remarkable pressure drop. The numerical result agrees well with the published literatures.