Experimental investigation of convective heat transfer in a vertical channel with brass wire mesh blocks

The present paper reports the hydrodynamic and thermal performance of brass wire mesh blocks in a vertical channel. Commercially available brass wire meshes are arranged side by side to act as a porous block. Convective heat transfer experiments in a vertical channel using an isothermal flat plate are conducted for a velocity range of 0-2 m/s. The plate is sandwiched with wire mesh block on either side so that the assembly completely fills the channel. The pressure drops across the filled region are measured for the velocity range discussed. The plate temperature is measured under steady state conditions. Empty channel experiments are also conducted under same conditions for purposes of comparison. The thermo-hydrodynamic experiments conducted showed a similar behavior to those seen in open-celled metal foams. The novelty of the present study is that a simple and cost effective method without any permanent bonding is developed for different porosities and the heat transfer enhancement studied. This situation represents the least performance of the porous structure. The effect of porosity in hydrodynamic and thermal performance is analysed. The performance of the porous blocks were also compared with other porous structures of similar porosity available in literature. Nusselt number correlations were developed to match with experimental data. Attempts to identify mixed convection regimes have been done. The paper also discusses the role of thermal dispersion in heat transfer enhancement using metallic wire meshes.