Optimal Porosity in an Air Heater Conduit Filled with a Porous Matrix

Abstract

In the present study, flow and forced convective heat transfer in an air heater conduit filled with a porous matrix with a uniform constant solar heat flux has been investigated analytically, based on minimal entropy generation principle. While trying to decrease entropy generation due to heat transfer, pressure loss entropy generation increases, which indicates that an optimal porosity value exists. The influence of Reynolds number, fluid properties, constant uniform heat flux, flow, and geometry of the system on the optimum matrix porosity has been investigated. It was revealed that optimum matrix porosity values increase as Reynolds number increases. In the range of the present study, a correlation predicting optimal matrix porosity was proposed using least squares analysis.