Heat transfer enhancement to air flows in plate channels with wire-mesh inserts

The present paper reports the results of convective heat transfer experiments performed in a vertical channel using commercially available stainless steel wire meshes. The wire meshes are arranged side by side to act as a porous block, which fills the channel. Heat transfer experiments using an isothermal flat plate are conducted for a wide range of velocities. The plate is sandwiched with wire mesh block on either side so that the assembly completely fills the channel. The pressure drop across the filled region is measured for a range of velocities. The plate temperature is measured under steady state conditions for a given heat input. Clear channel experiments are also conducted under same conditions for purposes of comparison. The performance has also been compared with high porosity open-celled copper foams under similar conditions. The heat transfer performance is found to be superior to that of the clear channel. However, there is a penalty due to increased pressure drop. The overall performance is found comparable to that of metallic foams.