Coupled lattice Boltzmann finite volume method for conjugate heat transfer in porous media

Abstract

This work presents a coupled lattice Boltzmann finite volume method for dealing with conjugate heat transfer problems. Lattice Boltzmann scheme is used for fluid-dynamics, while high-order finite volume method is implemented for temperature reconstruction. After a first validation with literature test cases, the method is applied to a heat exchanger with an insert made of porous medium, representative of an open-cell metal foam, innovative material largely used for its thermomechanical properties. This allows maximizing heat exchange processes with advantages in terms of efficiencies. Thus, the coupled method allows dealing with complex boundaries in multiphysics problems.