A computational and experimental approach to evaluate thermal conductivity and diffusivity of steel composite metal foam.

This study aims to comprehensively investigate the thermal properties of steel–steel composite metal foams (S–S CMFs) compared to traditional bulk steel across a wide temperature range. To achieve this, a combination of computational modeling and laser flash (LF) experimental methods was employed to characterize the thermal behavior of S–S CMF. Initially, the thermal conductivities of S–S CMF were analyzed using computational fluid dynamics software ANSYS Fluent within the temperature range of 300–600 °C. These computational results were then compared to experimental data obtained from the high-temperature guarded-comparative longitudinal heat flow (GCH) technique used in a previous study, ensuring their accuracy. The comparison indicated an average deviation of only 6% across the investigated temperature range. Subsequently, the computational model was extended to predict the thermal conductivity of S–S CMF up to 1000 °C. Thermal conductivity measurements were taken using the LF experimental technique to validate these predictions at elevated temperatures, covering the temperature range from room temperature to 1000 °C. The experimental findings revealed that the thermal conductivity of S–S CMF was six times lower than that of bulk 316L stainless steel, while its thermal diffusivity was half that of bulk steel. Finally, an uncertainty analysis was performed to assess the reliability and accuracy of both the computational model and the LF experimental data. The results showed uncertainties of 3.6% and 5.5% at a 95% confidence level for the computational and LF approaches. Notably, these values were lower than the reported uncertainty in thermal conductivity obtained through the GCH technique in the earlier study (7–7.5%). Additionally, the comparison between the computational and experimental results from the LF technique demonstrated a mere 2% deviation throughout the investigated temperature range, highlighting the superior accuracy of the LF technique for evaluating thermal conductivity in porous materials. Given the outstanding thermal insulation properties, low mass nature, and high energy absorption capacity of S–S CMFs, one potential application for these materials could be in tank cars designed to transport hazardous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]