EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF NATURAL CONVECTION FROM POROUS BLOCKS IN A CAVITY

DOĞAN A., Ozbalci O., ATMACA İ.

JOURNAL OF POROUS MEDIA, vol.19, no.12, pp.1023-1032, 2016 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 19 Issue: 12
  • Publication Date: 2016
  • Doi Number: 10.1615/jpormedia.v19.i12.10
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF POROUS MEDIA
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.1023-1032
  • Keywords: natural convection, aluminum foam blocks, electronic cooling, BUOYANCY-INDUCED CONVECTION, CELL ALUMINUM FOAM, METAL-FOAM, HEAT-EXCHANGERS, SQUARE CAVITY, ENCLOSURE, SINKS, PLATE, FLOW
  • Akdeniz University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Natural convection heat transfer from aluminum (Al-6101) foam blocks with different pore densities (10, 20, and 40 pore per inch (PPI)) were investigated experimentally. Air was used as the working fluid. The test section was equipped with 3 x 3 aluminum foam blocks placed on copper plates and subjected to a uniform heat flux. The modified Rayleigh number Ra* varied between 8.33 x 10(5) and 5.24 x 10(6), while the foam height varied between 10 and 30 mm. The effects of block height and pore density of the aluminum foam on the heat transfer enhancement were determined. For the highest Rayleigh number, the results show that the thermal performance of the aluminum foam having H = 30 mm average Nusselt number obtained for pore density of 40 PPI is about 1.5 and 1.36 times higher than for 10 PPI and 20 PPI, respectively, and also 3.85 times higher than without a foam case in a cavity.