Thermal Conductivity of Steel-Steel Composite Metal Foam through Computational Modeling

Abstract

Abstract. Thermal capabilities of Steel-Steel composite metal foam (CMF) against extremely high temperatures using computational methods have been investigated and contrasted with the characteristics of the base bulk steel materials. A physics-based three-dimensional model of CMF was constructed using Finite Element Analysis software for analyzing its thermal conductivity. The model built and analyzed in ANSYS Fluent was based on high temperature guarded-comparative longitudinal heat flow technique. ANSYS Fluent allows for the inclusion of air in the model, which is the main contributor to the low thermal conductivity of CMF compared to its constituent material. The model's viability was checked by comparing the computational and experimental results, which indicated approximately 2% deviation throughout the investigated temperature range. Excellent agreement between the experimental and computational model results shows that the CMF can be first modeled and analyzed using the proposed computational technique for the desired thermal insulation application before manufacturing. Based on the ratios of the matrix to the spheres and the thickness of the sphere walls, CMF can be tailored to the density requirements and then checked for its thermal performance using the model, thereby lowering the cost involved in its manufacturing and thermal characterization experiments.