Experimental and numerical analysis of electrical metal foam heater

A novel concept of air heater using a heating element made from Aluminum metal porous disc surrounded by a DC resistive electrical heater inserted in the mid-plane of a copper tube of (52.8 mm) diameter and (480 mm) length is presented herein. Study of the developed heater is conducted; using different porous disc thicknesses of (20, 40, 60 mm), heater wall temperatures (106 °C and 119 °C), and flow rates rare varied from (100–300 L/min). Al-metal foam disc has been made using the metal powder technology. Different resistive electrical heaters according to the type of porous disc used have been manufactured. A 2-D computational model is developed, using continuity, momentum, and energy equations for turbulent forced flow in plain tube, while adopting Darcy’s model in the porous disc region.

► A novel DC electrical air heater was designed made and tested experimentally and numerically.
► This heater is formed by surrounding an Al-metal porous disc by a DC resistive heater then it is inserted in a copper pipe.
► The effect of disc thickness, setting temperature, air flow rate was studied.
► Higher heating is obtained by increasing disc thickness, air flow rate.
► This new DC air heater was effective due to the presence of porous metal disc.