The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between dust deposition effects on the thermohydraulic performance of a metal foam heat exchanger.
The paper uses finite volume approximation to solve the two‐dimensional volume‐averaged form of governing equations through and around a metal foam‐covered tube bundle. Modified porosity, permeability, and form drag coefficient for a dusty foam layer are obtained through the application of a thermal resistance network model.
The paper provides novel data to predict the fouling effects on the performance of foam‐wrapped tube bundles as air‐cooled heat exchangers. It is observed that depending on the deposited layer thickness, the increased pressure drop and heat transfer deterioration can be very significant.
This paper fulfils an identified need to study fouling effects on thermohydraulic performance of a foam heat exchanger.
