Effect of ligament hollowness on heat transfer characteristics of open-cell metal foam

The effects of the hollowness of a metal foam ligament on the heat transfer characteristics are presented, and an empirical correlation is suggested for estimating the corresponding Nusselt number. Three-dimensional numerical simulations with the Weaire-Phelan model were performed for various hollow ligaments. The correlation was derived based on thermodynamic analysis and numerical results. An experimental validation showed good agreement with the correlation.