Heat Transfer in Open Cell Foam Insulation

Abstract

Heat transfer in open cell foam insulation occurs by conduction through the solid material and through the gas in the cell interior and by thermal radiation, which propagates through the structure. The conductive process within these media is described using a simple parallel-series model. Spectral volumetric absorption and scattering coefficients as well as the spectral phase function are predicted using a combination of geometric optics laws and diffraction theory to model the interaction of radiation with the particles forming the foam. The particles considered are both struts formed at the juncture of three cells and strut junctures. The radiative properties can then be utilized to obtain a weighted extinction coefficient, which can be used in the Rosseland equation to obtain the radiative flux. The innovative part of the work lies in the radiative properties predictive model. This new model is compared with simpler ones.