ABSTRACT
Metal foams are lightweight nature-inspired cellular materials. There are two types of foam structures i.e., closed cell foams, which have gas-filled pores separated from each other by metal cell walls, and open cell foams, which contain a continuous network of metallic struts and the enclosed pores in each strut frame are connected. By and large, metal foams have ultra-light isotropic structures (porosity ranging from 85 to 97%), continuous metal matrices, large surface area and high thermal conductivity which offer a promising solution to the heat transfer enhancement for Phase Changing Materials (PCMs) that can store and release large amounts of energy. A major challenge for the use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is overcoming the low thermal conductivity of PCM’s. Low conductivity gives rise to limited power during charging and discharging TES. Impregnating metal foam with PCM is an effective solution to enhance heat transfer. The effect of metal foam parameters such as porosity, pore size and material type are still unclear and further research is needed for effective use of metallic foam in solar power systems to increase the efficiency. In this chapter, a systematic study on applications of metal foam for solar power systems, its challenges and future scope for research will be presented.
