Correlations and Numerical Modeling of Stacked Woven Wire-Mesh Porous Media for Heat Exchange Applications

Abstract

Metal foams have gained attention due to their heat transfer augmenting capabilities. In the literature, correlations describing relations among their morphological characteristics have successfully been established and well discussed. However, collective expressions that categorize stacked wire mesh based on their morphology and thermo-hydraulic expressions required for numerical modeling are less explored in the literature. In the present study, cross relations among the morphological characteristics of stacked wire-mesh were arrived at based on mesh-size, wire diameter and stacking type, which are essential for describing the medium and determining key input parameters required for numerical modeling. Furthermore, correlation for specific surface area, a vital parameter that plays a major role in interstitial heat transfer, is provided. With the arrived correlations, properties of stacked wire-mesh samples of orderly varied mesh-size and porosity are obtained for various stacking scenarios, and corresponding thermo-hydraulic parameters appearing in the governing equations are evaluated. A vertical channel housing the categorized wire-mesh porous media is numerically modeled to analyze thermal and flow characteristics of such a medium. The proposed correlations can be used in confidence to evaluate thermo-hydraulic parameters appearing in governing equations in order to numerically model various samples of stacked wire-mesh types of porous media in a variety of heat transfer applications.

Fabrication of Particle-Stacking Microporous Metal Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion

“…Owing to the existence of pores, porous metallic materials give them the dual attributes of being structural and functional [1,2], which has attracted much attention in recent years. With many extraordinary characteristics, such as low relative density, large specific surface area, lightweight, sound insulation, and energy absorption, porous metals are widely applied in lightweight [3,4], medical implants [5][6][7], filtration and separation [8,9], sound absorption and noise reduction [10][11][12], heat exchange [13][14][15] and battery catalysis [16,17]. Therefore, a porous structure with channeled pores and pore sizes less than 100 µm plays a particularly important role in physical and chemical performance owing to the excellent connectivity and high specific surface area of the micropores.…”