Effect of wave aspect ratio of skewed sinusoidal corrugated channel and copper metal foam inserts on thermohydraulic characteristics

The present study examines numerically the wave aspect ratio of skewed sinusoidal corrugated (SSC) channel and partially inserted open-cell metal foam (OCMF) made of copper effects on the forced convective heat transfer and airflow characteristics. The computations are conducted employing ANSYS Fluent 19.2 for various wave aspect ratios (2a/λ = 0.3–0.075) at the laminar Reynolds number range (Re = 700–1700). Additionally, the foam is fixed on the corrugated surfaces' upper and lower wave peaks in staggered arrangements with a pore density range of (10–40) pores per inch (PPI). The results show that the three-dimensional, incompressible and steady airflow through the SSC channel increases the average Nusselt number (Nuavg), friction factor (f), and thermo-hydraulic performance (THP) with increasing the aspect ratio at constant Re due to the increased surface area and due to increased flow restriction associated with the secondary flows. Moreover, using partial OCMF inserts improves fluid mixing, resulting in a higher heat transfer rate and friction along the channel. Results further illustrate that Nuavg, f, and THP increase with increasing PPI, primarily because of the elevated foam surface area and reduced permeability. A maximum THP value of 1.5 is achieved for the SSC channel with 40 PPI.