Study on the Thermal Properties of Closed-Cell Metal Foams Based on Voronoi Random Models

Abstract

The thermal properties of closed-cell metal foams are simulated by using 3-D and 2-D Voronoi FE models. Without convection and radiation, the influences of relative density, cell shape irregularity, cell-wall thickness nonuniformity, and imperfection of cell edges on thermal conductivity are studied. Besides, the effects of cell shape and relative density on the thermal deformation have been also analyzed by the 3-D model. Simulation results indicate apparent thermal conductivity depends linearly on the relative density, and decreases with the other four factors increasing. Volumetric strain is independent of the relative density, but slightly reduces with the increase of cell shape irregularity.