Computational study of heat transfer enhancement using porous foams with phase change materials: A comparative review

Phase change materials (PCMs) in thermal energy storage can improve energy efficiency and sustainability, which notably makes them a potential solution to the problems of energy and the environment. Numerical simulations, along with experimental research, contribute significantly to the development of PCM applications. Among many different methods used to improve the thermal conductivity of PCMs, the inclusion of metal foams with high thermal conductivity and a solid structure is largely preferred. The purpose of this review is the investigation of the challenges and the recent developments in computational methods for simulating the heat transfer in latent heat thermal energy storage systems that use metal foams to enhance the thermal conductivity of PCMs. Computational strategies including different software, geometry implementation methods, dimensions and scales of models, boundary conditions, porosity and pore density of foam samples as well as their materials are reviewed, evaluated and compared with applications of metal foams in heat exchangers. This review demonstrates that even though the Lattice Boltzmann method accounts for 30% of the numerical studies in this area—which can be due to the need for more costly equipment and the lack of reliable commercial software—it yields more accurate predictions since in this method the complex geometry of foams can be implemented with much greater accuracy.