Open Cell Metal Foams: Measurement and Numerical Modelling of Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer

We herein present results from experimental investigations and new numerical methods for the investigation of fluid flow and heat transfer in cellular solids, in particular open cell metal foams. Results from a custom made test facility contribute to enlarge the public available database of open cell metal foams and serve for the validation of applied commercial and inhouse numerical methods. Contrary to the classical numerical finite volume (FV), finite difference (FD) or finite element (FE) interface tracking methods, the employed method combines a lattice Boltzmann solver for fluid flow with a heat transfer equation, both in context of a diffuse interface representation of the complex cellular structure [1]. The diffuse interface concept (also known as phase-field modelling) is used to smoothly generate and map complex microstructures [2]. We assume no interface dynamics, i.e. the order parameter of the phase field is only used to distinguish between different phases, namely fluid and solid. However, in view of multiphysics applications and more complex convoluted microstructures, extensions to phase change systems can hardly be mastered by body fitted, interface tracking methods. The presented method promises to be a comfortable, feasible and high potential method.