CFD Modeling of Thermophysical Properties Influence on The Heat Transfer in Metal Foam Heat Sinks

Abstract

This study presents a CFD simulation by COMSOL multiphysics software of a metal foam heat sink used for cooling electronic power component. The simulation is a transient 3D of air laminar flow through a channel equipped with a plate-electronic component system cooled by a metal foam heat sink. The goal is to determine the thermohydraulic behavior of the system. The foam heat sink is considered as a porous medium, the Darcy-Forchheimer-Brinkman model is used. We discussed the effects of air velocity, heat flux dissipated by the electronic device and the type of metal foam on the system phenomenology.