Review and a Theoretical Approach on Pressure Drop Correlations of Flow through Open-Cell Metal Foam

Due to their high porosity, high stiffness, light weight, large surface area-to-volume ratio, and excellent thermal properties, open-cell metal foams have been applied in a wide range of sectors and industries, including the energy, transportation, aviation, biomedical, and defense industries. Understanding the flow characteristics and pressure drop of the fluid flow in open-cell metal foams is critical for applying such materials in these scenarios. However, the state-of-the-art pressure drop correlations for open-cell foams show large deviations from experimental data. In this paper, the fundamental governing equations of fluid flow through open-cell metal foams and the determination of different foam geometry structures are first presented. A variety of published models for predicting the pressure drop through open-cell metal foams are then summarized and validated against experimental data. Finally, two empirical correlations of permeability are developed and recommended based on the model of Calmidi. Moreover, Calmidi's model is proposed to calculate the Forchheimer coefficient. These three equations together allow calculating the pressure drop through open-cell metal foam as a function of porosity and pore diameter (or strut diameter) in a wide range of porosities epsilon = 85.7-97.8% and pore densities of 10-100 PPI. The findings of this study greatly advance our understanding of the flow characteristics through open-cell metal foam and provide important guidance for the design of open-cell metal foam materials for different engineering applications.

Automated summary

Open-cell metal foams are commonly used in various industries due to their unique properties, but accurately predicting the pressure drop in these foams has been a challenge. This paper presents equations for fluid flow through open-cell metal foams, summarizes existing models for predicting pressure drop, and proposes new correlations for permeability and Forchheimer coefficient. The findings advance our understanding of flow characteristics in open-cell metal foams and provide guidance for their engineering application design.