Heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of wet air flowin metal foam underde humidifying conditions: numerical model and experiment alvalidation

摘要

In the present study, the heattransfer andpressuredropcharacteristics ofwetairflow inmetalfoams under dehumidifyingconditionswere investigated numerically. Thenumerical models of water droplet formation, growth and movement were developed;themass transfer rate model during droplet formation process was obtained based on the heterogeneous nucleation rate and critical nucleation radius of droplet; the mass transfer rate model for droplet growth was developed based on the species conservation of water vapor on phase interface between the droplet and the moist air; the contact angle modelof the droplet was developed based on the force analysis of droplets on the ligament. Both the models of mass transfer rate contact angle were reflected in the continuity, momentum and energy conservation equations as the mass source term and momentum term.Themodelprediction accuracy was verified based on theexistingexperimental datain the literature.