Low-porosity aluminum foams with steel guest phases as disruptive materials for active thermal management

Abstract

Low-porosity metal foams, emerging as promising materials for efficient heat dissipation, outperform their high-porosity counterparts in conductive-convective performance. However, their current thermal capabilities fall short for cutting-edge electronics. This study introduces newly designed Guefoams, a novel family of low-porosity foam materials, and explores their suitability for heat dissipation. The Guefoams prepared herein feature a unique structure with guest phases (steel spheres) seamlessly integrated into the porous cavities of aluminum foams, devoid of bonds with the foam matrix. The study emphasizes the impact of design parameters (dimensions of interconnecting windows and guest phases) on thermo-fluid dynamic properties. The empirical evidence, supported by computational simulation results, demonstrates that these guest phases significantly enhance heat transfer by up to 60 % compared to analog low-porosity aluminum foams. This enhancement primarily arises from two factors: i) altering fluid dynamics via guest phase impedance, influencing flow patterns, and ii) amplifying surface area for greater solid-fluid heat transfer. Compared to high-porosity aluminum foams, a current standard in heat dissipation, the developed materials exhibit heat transfer coefficients >600 % higher. Overall, these advancements position the developed Guefoams as a promising solution for demands in challenging active heat dissipation.