To simulate the heat transfer performance of devices incorporating high-conductivity porous materials, it is necessary to determine the relevant effective properties to close the volume-averaged momentum and energy equations. In this work, we determine these effective properties by conducting direct simulations in an idealized spherical void phase geometry and use the results to establish closure relations to be employed in a volume-averaged framework. To close the volume-averaged momentum equation, we determine the permeability as defined by Darcy’s law as well as a non-Darcy term, which characterizes the departure from Darcy’s law at higher Reynolds numbers. Results indicate that the non-Darcy term is nonlinearly related to Reynolds number, not only confirming previous evidence regarding such behavior in the weak inertia flow regime, but demonstrating that this is generally true at higher Reynolds numbers as well. The volume-averaged energy equation in the fluid phase is closed by the thermal dispersion conductivity tensor, the convecting velocity, and the interfacial Nusselt number. Overall, it has been found that many existing correlations for the effective thermal properties of graphite foams are oversimplified. In particular, it has been found that the dispersion conductivity is not well characterized using the Péclet number alone, rather the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers must be considered as separate influences. Additionally, the convecting velocity modification, which is not typically considered, was found to be significant, while the interfacial Nusselt number was found to exhibit a nonzero asymptote at low Péclet numbers. Finally, simulations using the closed volume-averaged equations reveal significant differences in heat transfer when employing the present dispersion model in comparison to a simpler dispersion model commonly used for metallic foams, particularly at high Péclet numbers and for thicker foam blocks.

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Drag reduction in turbulent channel flows has significant practical relevance for energy savings. Various methods have been proposed to reduce turbulent skin friction, including microscale surface modifications such as riblets or superhydrophobic surfaces. More recently, macroscale surface modifications in the form of longitudinal grooves have been shown to reduce drag in laminar channel flows. The purpose of this study is to show that these grooves also reduce drag in turbulent channel flows and to quantify the drag reduction as a function of the groove parameters. Results are obtained using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with turbulence modeled by the k–ω shear-stress transport (SST) model, which is first validated with direct numerical simulations (DNS). Based on the CFD results, a reduced geometry model is proposed which shows that the approximate drag reduction can be quantified by evaluating the drag reduction of the geometry given by the first Fourier mode of an arbitrary groove geometry. Results are presented to show the drag reducing potential of grooves as a function of Reynolds number as well as groove wave number, amplitude, and shape. The mechanism of drag reduction is discussed, which is found to be due to a rearrangement of the bulk fluid motion into high-velocity streamtubes in the widest portion of the channel opening, resulting in a change in the wall shear stress profile.

A numerical study has been undertaken to explore the details of forced convection heat transfer in finned aluminum foam heat sinks. Calculations are made using a finite-volume computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code that solves for the flow and heat transfer in conjugate fluid/porous/solid domains. The results indicate that using unfinned blocks of porous aluminum results in low convective heat transfer due to the relatively low effective thermal conductivity of the porous aluminum. The addition of aluminum fins to the heat sink significantly enhances the heat transfer with only a moderate pressure drop penalty. The convective enhancement is maximized when thermal boundary layers between adjacent fins merge together and become nearly developed for much of the length of the heat sink. It is found that the heat transfer enhancement is due to increased heat entrainment into the aluminum foam by conduction. A model for the equivalent conductivity of the finned/foam heat sinks is developed using extended surface theory. This model is used to explain the heat transfer enhancement as an increase in equivalent conductivity of the device. The model is also shown to predict the heat transfer for various heat sink geometries based on a single CFD calculation to find the equivalent conductivity of the device. This model will find utility in characterizing heat sinks and in allowing for quick assessments of the effect of varying heat sink properties.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to simulate a bubble column reactor operating in the bubbly (homogenous) regime. The Euler–Euler two‐fluid model, integrated with the population balance model (PBM), is adopted to compute the flow and bubble size distribution (BSD). The CFD‐PBM model is validated against published experimental data for BSD, global gas holdup, and oxygen mass transfer coefficient. The sensitivity of the model with respect to the specification of boundary conditions and the bubble coalescence/breakup models is assessed. The coalescence model of Prince and Blanch (1990) provides the best results, whereas the output is shown to be insensitive to the breakup model. The CFD‐PBM study demonstrates the importance of considering the BSD in order to correctly model mass transfer. Results show that the constant bubble size assumption results in a large error in the oxygen mass transfer coefficient, while giving acceptable results for gas holdup. Practitioner points Constant bubble size (CBS) and population balance model (PBM) are compared for a bubble column reactor. Both PBM and CBS can predict gas holdup; however, PBM can correctly predict gas–liquid mass transfer whereas CBS cannot. Best practices for selecting coalescence, breakup, and drag models are determined.