scholarly journals Effective Thermal Conductivity of Open Cell Polyurethane Foam Based on the Fractal Theory

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kan Ankang ◽  
Han Houde
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Effective Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Polyurethane Foam ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Fractal Theory ◽  
Heat Radiation ◽  
Total Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Equivalent Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Open Cell

Based on the fractal theory, the geometric structure inside an open cell polyurethane foam, which is widely used as adiabatic material, is illustrated. A simplified cell fractal model is created. In the model, the method of calculating the equivalent thermal conductivity of the porous foam is described and the fractal dimension is calculated. The mathematical formulas for the fractal equivalent thermal conductivity combined with gas and solid phase, for heat radiation equivalent thermal conductivity and for the total thermal conductivity, are deduced. However, the total effective heat flux is the summation of the heat conduction by the solid phase and the gas in pores, the radiation, and the convection between gas and solid phase. Fractal mathematical equation of effective thermal conductivity is derived with fractal dimension and vacancy porosity in the cell body. The calculated results have good agreement with the experimental data, and the difference is less than 5%. The main influencing factors are summarized. The research work is useful for the enhancement of adiabatic performance of foam materials and development of new materials.

PREDICTION OF EFFECTIVE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF POROUS MEDIA WITH FRACTAL-MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS

Fractals ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (03) ◽  
pp. 1440004 ◽  
Author(s):  
YOUSHENG XU ◽  
YOUQU ZHENG ◽  
JIANLONG KOU
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Porous Media ◽  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Effective Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Scaling Laws ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Probability Model ◽  
Fractal Theory ◽  
Monte Carlo Simulation Technique

On the basis of the fractal scaling laws of pore distribution in natural porous media, a probability model is developed for thermal conductivity in porous media by combining fractal theory and Monte Carlo technique. The current numerical model, which was validated by comparison with the existing experimental data, shows that the thermal conductivity of porous media is a function of the thermal conductivities of volume fraction, pore area fractal dimension, tortuosity fractal dimension and random number. The effect of microstructure parameters on the effective thermal conductivity of porous media is studied. The proposed fractal Monte Carlo simulation technique has advantages compared with conventional numerical methods and may have the potential in analyzing other transport properties of porous media.

Fractal Model for Thermal Conductivity of Wetting, Fibrous Porous Media

2012 ◽  
Vol 496 ◽  
pp. 12-16
Author(s):  
Fang Long Zhu ◽  
De Hong Xia ◽  
Yu Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Porous Media ◽  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Effective Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Fractal Model ◽  
Self Similarity ◽  
Conductivity Model ◽  
Electrical Analogy ◽  
Fibrous Porous Media ◽  
Thermal Conductivity Model

The current paper deals with the fractal effective thermal conductivity model for fibrous porous media containing unsaturated water moisture. The model is based on the thermal-electrical analogy and statistical self-similarity of porous media. The fractal effective thermal conductivity model can be expressed as a function of the pore structure (fractal dimension) and architectural parameters of porous media. It is expected that the model will be helpful in the evaluation of thermal comfort for textiles in the whole range of porosity.

Measurement and Prediction of Thermal Conductivity of Open Cell Rigid Polyurethane Foam

2001 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 310-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Han Tao ◽  
Hung-Che Hsu ◽  
Chih-Chen Chang ◽  
Chuan-Liang Hsu ◽  
Yung-Sen Lin
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Polyurethane Foam ◽  
Rigid Polyurethane Foam ◽  
Open Cell

Mechanical Properties of Microscale Graphitic Carbon Foam Ligaments and Nodes

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ganguli ◽  
A. K. Roy ◽  
R. Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Thermal Protection ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Coefficient Of Thermal Expansion ◽  
Carbon Foam ◽  
High Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Uniform Size ◽  
Open Cell ◽  
Carbon Foams

Carbon foam is recognized as having the greatest potential to replacement for metal fins in thermal management systems such as heat exchangers, space radiators, and thermal protection systems [1–5]. Carbon foam refers to a broad class of materials that include reticulated glassy, carbon and graphitic foams that are generally open-cell or mostly open-cell. They can be tailored to have low or high thermal conductivity with a low coefficient of thermal expansion and density. These foams have high modulus but low compression and tensile strength. Among the carbon foams, the graphitic foam offers superior thermal management properties such as high thermal conductivity. Graphitic foams are made of a network of spheroidal shell segments. Each cell has thin, stretched ligaments in the walls that are joined at the nodes or junctions. The parallel arrangement of graphene planes in the ligaments confers highly anisotropic properties to the walls of the graphitic foams. The graphene planes tend to be oriented with the plane of the ligaments but become disrupted at the junctions (nodes) of the walls. Since conduction is highest along parallel graphene planes, the thermal conductivity is highest in the plane of the ligaments or struts, and much lower in the direction transverse to the plane of these ligaments. In a previous study [6] extensive mechanical and thermal property characterization of carbon foams from Kopper Inc. (L1) and POCO Graphite, Inc. (P1) were reported. These foams were graphitic ones that are expected to have high thermal conductivity. Figure 1 shows sections of light microscopy images of the three foams of four foams. The most important thing to notice is that the images were not at the same magnification. The large cells in the GrafTech foam have an average diameter of only ∼100 μm but have a bimodal distribution cells with many small closed-cells few micrometers in diameter. Changes in density in the GrafTech foam was accompanied by a change in the large cells’ diameter — larger diameter giving greater porosity and lower density without changing the smaller cells’ sizes that filled the solid phase between the larger bubbles. The POCO foam has a fairly uniform size cell distribution of a few hundred micrometers. The Koppers’ foams show larger cells yet with the left (“L” precursor) having a uniform size while the right-hand (“D” precursor) is a less uniform and lower porosity.

Numerical Simulation of Heat and Mass Transfer in Metal Hydride Hydrogen Accumulators of Different Complex Designs

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmitriy Lazarev ◽  
Valeriy Artemov ◽  
Georgiy Yankov ◽  
Konstantin Minko
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Effective Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Heat And Mass Transfer ◽  
Metal Hydride ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Calculated Data ◽  
Sorption Rate ◽  
Gas Admixtures

A three-dimensional mathematical model of unsteady heat and mass transfer in porous hydrogen-absorbing media, accounting for presence of “passive” gas admixtures, is developed. New technique for evaluation of effective thermal conductivity of porous medium, which consists of microparticles, is suggested. Effect of “passive” gas admixtures on heat and mass transfer and sorption rate in metal hydride reactor is analyzed. It is shown that decrease of effective thermal conductivity and partial hydrogen pressure under decrease of hydrogen concentration effect on the hydrogen sorption rate considerably. It is disclosed that an intensive 3D natural convection takes place in a gas volume of reactor under certain conditions. Numerical analysis of heat and mass transfer in metal-hydride reactor of hydrogen accumulation systems was done. Sorption of hydrogen in cylindrical reactors with external cooling and central supply of hydrogen are analyzed including reactors with finned active volume and tube-shell reactor with external and internal cooling cartridge matrix. Unsteady three dimensional temperature and concentration fields in solid phase are presented. Integral curves representing the dynamic of sorption and desorption are calculated. Data on efficiency of considered reactors are presented and compared.

Convective Heat Transfer Analysis of Open Cell Metal Foam for Solar Air Heaters

Solar Energy ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nihad Dukhan ◽  
Pablo D. Quinones
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Effective Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Metal Foam ◽  
Heat Transfer Analysis ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Aluminum Foams ◽  
Maximum Heat ◽  
Open Cell ◽  
Maximum Heat Transfer

A one-dimensional heat transfer model for open-cell metal foam is presented. Three aluminum foams having different areas, relative densities, ligament diameters, and number of pores per inch were analyzed. The effective thermal conductivity and the heat transfer increased with the number of pores per inch. The effective thermal conductivity of the foams can be up to four times higher than that of solid aluminum. The resulting improvement in heat transfer can be as high as 50 percent. The maximum heat transfer for the aluminum foams occurs at a pore Reynolds number of 52. The heat transfer, in addition, becomes insensitive to the flow regime for pore Reynolds numbers beyond 200.

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