Enhancement of Single-Phase Liquid Cooling Performance of Metal Foams Through Integrated Pin-Fins: The Effects of Porosity And Pore Density

Abstract This study investigates the effect of structural parameters, such as porosity and pores per inch (PPI), on the single-phase convection heat transfer enhancement of metal foams through integrated pin-fins, with de-ionized water as working fluid. Nine different foams with three different porosities and PPI values were examined. All foams were scanned using computed tomography (CT) and geometrically characterized. Experimental investigations, both with and without pin fins, were conducted to analyze heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics. Comparison of computational predictions and measurements in the range of Re of 300 to 900 demonstrated 3.1% or better agreement in the Nu, and 9.3% or better agreement in the friction coefficient. The results revealed that at the given Re range, increasing metal foam density enhances Nu, while a higher PPI leads to an increased pressure drop. Overall, metal foams with high density and low PPI exhibited superior heat transfer performance, both with and without pin fins. A more significant enhancement to heat transfer performance with pin-fins was observed in low-density metal foams, particularly for those with 20 PPI. An artificial intelligence (AI) model, based on random forest regression, was developed to predict Nu, achieving an R-squared value of 0.99.