Potentials of porous materials for energy management in heat exchangers - A comprehensive review

Heat exchangers are recognized as popular thermal devices with various and important applications in industrial energy systems. Many techniques were employed in order to manage the energy in these devices. Among these techniques, porous materials with high potentials for the energy management and enhancing the thermal performances in heat exchangers were employed widely. This paper reviews recent developments and utilisation of different types of porous materials in the heat exchangers. Both simulation and experimental works were briefly explained. The gaps in current literatures and designs were investigated and solutions for them were discussed.