Pressure loss and forced convective heat transfer in an annulus filled with aluminum foam

This experimental study investigates non-Darcy flow and heat transfer in an annulus with high porosity aluminum foams to attain the miniaturization of thermal systems. The local wall temperature distribution, inlet and outlet pressures, and temperatures and heat transfer coefficient were measured for heat flux of 13.6–31.4 kW/m2. The results show that aluminum foam enhances heat transfer from a surface compared with that of laminar flow in a clear annulus. Correlations for the friction factor and the Nusselt number are proposed and used for design of thermal applications.