Development of a device for the measurement of thermal and fluid flow properties of heat exchanger materials

•A test rig to measure properties for heat exchangers is described.•Thermal energy transfer and the pressure drop across the exchanger are measured.•Rig precision is estimated and validated against other test methods.•Measurements of the performance of a range of metallic samples are made.

As yet, no standard equipment exists for the measurement of heat transfer through porous materials, such as metal foams (metals with a high volume fraction of porosity). Most research in this area has been carried out using bespoke test rigs. Here the creation of a test rig specifically developed for the measurement of the heat transfer of metal foams is reported. This method has been applied to laboratory made samples processed by replication and examples of commercially available aluminium foams (Duocel and Corevo), and should be suitable for the testing of all materials with comparable permeability. As this equipment is new and unique, the design will be discussed in detail, along with the various tests that were performed to ensure reliability and consistency with other methods and published data.