Deterioration in Heat Transfer due to Axial Conduction of Heat in Open Cell Metal Foam

Cross-connection in the foam struts helps achieving augmentation in heat transfer. It is the same feature which adds the risk of promoting axial conduction. Fluid flow through a slice of open-cell foam, attached to a plate, has been considered for analysing the effect of axial conduction through the porous medium. A repetitive simple cubic structure model for the porous matrix has been assumed for simplicity. While, thermal gradient in the solid plate is always associated with axial flow of heat, existence of the same through the foam filaments becomes conditional. Axial heat flow through the foam-fibres has been found causing substantial deterioration in heat transfer.