Open Access

ARTICLE

Heat transfer studies in a vertical channel filled with aporous medium

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1 Heat Transfer and Thermal Power Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IITMadras, Chennai -600036 INDIA
2 Corresponding author

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2013, 9(2), 111-126. https://doi.org/10.3970/fdmp.2013.009.111

Abstract

This paper reports the results of an experimental study on the enhancement in the heat transfer from a heated aluminium plate placed in a vertical channeland filled with an aluminium metal foam. Hydrodynamic and heat transfer experiments have been conducted for different foam thicknesses. The results of the hy-drodynamic experiments show no significant variation in the pressure drop with anincrease in the foam thickness. However, an increase in the foam thickness contributes an average heat transfer enhancement of 2 to 4 times over an empty channelfor the same Reynolds number. Correlations for Nusselt number are also developedfor porous and empty channels. From these correlations, the heat transfer coefficient on the heater wall is found to be proportional to the foam thickness for a given Reynolds number. However, for an empty channel, the heat transfer coefficient isfound to be independent of the channel width for a given Reynolds number.

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