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.

Issue Section:
Radiative Transfer
Keywords:
Modeling and Scaling, Porous Media, Radiation
Topics:
Heat transfer, Insulation, Radiation (Physics), Particulate matter, Absorption, Diffraction, Electromagnetic scattering, Geometric optics, Heat conduction, Modeling, Porous materials, Radiation scattering, Scattering (Physics), Struts (Engineering), Thermal radiation
1.
Autio
G. W.
, and
Scala
E.
,
1966
,
Carbon
, Vol.
4
, pp.
13
–
28
.
2.
Bohren, C. F., and Huffman, D. R., 1983, Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles, Wiley, New York.
3.
Boulet, P., 1992, “Etude du Transfert par Rayonnement a` Travers les Milieux Fibreux,” Doctoral Thesis, Universite´ de Nancy I, France.
4.
Brewster, M. Q., 1992, Thermal Radiative Transfer and Properties, Wiley, New York, pp. 301–336.
5.
Doermann, D., 1995, “Mode´lisation des transferts thermiques dans des mate´riaux semi-transparents de type mousse a` pores ouverts et pre´diction des proprie´te´s radiatives,” Doctoral Thesis, INSA-Lyon France, No. order 95ISAL0010.
6.
Glicksman, L. R., and Torpey, M. R., 1987a, “Factors Governing Heat Transfer Through Closed Cell Foam Insulation,” ASTM Symposium, FL.
7.
Glicksman, L. R., and Torpey, M., 1987b, “Radiation in Foam Insulation,” Proceedings of Polyurethane World Congress, Aachen, Germany.
8.
Glicksman
L.
,
Schuetz
M.
, and
Sinofsky
M.
,
1987
, “
Radiation Heat Transfer in Foam Insulation
,”
Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer
, Vol.
30
, No.
1
, pp.
187
–
197
.
9.
Glicksman, L. R., and Torpey, M. R., 1988, “A Study of Radiative Heat Transfer Through Foam Insulation,” report prepared by Massachusetts Institute of Technology under Subcontract No. 19X-09099C.
10.
Glicksman, R., Marge, A. L., and Moreno, J. D., 1992, “Radiation Heat Transfer in Cellular Foam Insulation,” Developments in Radiative Heat Transfer, ASME HTD-Vol. 203.
11.
Hottel, H. C., and Sarofim, A. F., 1967, Radiative Transfer, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 378–407.
12.
Kuhn
J.
, et al.,
1992
, “
Thermal Transport in Polystyrene and Polyurethane Foam Insulations
,”
Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer
, Vol.
35
, No.
7
, pp.
1795
–
1801
.
13.
Lee
H.
, and
Buckius
R. O.
,
1982
, “
Scaling Anisotropic Scattering in Radiation Heat Transfer for a Planar Medium
,”
ASME JOURNAL OF HEAT TRANSFER
, Vol.
104
, pp.
68
–
75
.
14.
Nicolau
V. P.
,
Raynaud
M.
, and
Sacadura
J. F.
,
1994
a, “
Spectral Radiative Properties Identification of Fibber Insulating Materials
,”
Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer
, Vol.
37
, pp.
311
–
324
.
15.
Nicolau, V. P., 1994b, “Identification des Proprie´te´s Radiatives des Mate´riaux Semi-Transparents Diffusants,” Doctoral Thesis, INSA-Lyon France, No. order 94ISAL0001.
16.
Patankar, S. V., 1980, Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow, Hemisphere Publishing Corporation, U.S.A.
17.
Reitz, D. W., 1983, “A Basic Study of Gas Diffusion in Foam Insulation,” Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, pp. 34–34.
18.
Schuetz
M. A.
, and
Glicksman
L. R.
,
1984
, “
A Basic Study of Heat Transfer Through Foam Insulation
,”
Journal of Cellular Plastics
, Vol.
20
, No.
2
, pp.
114
–
121
.
19.
Touloukian, Y. S., and Dewitt, D. P., 1970, Thermophysical Properties of Matter, Plenum, New York, Vol. 8.
20.
Van De Hulst, H. C., 1957, Light Scattering by Small Particles, Wiley, New York, pp. 103–113.
This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright © 1996
 by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
You do not currently have access to this content.