Entropy Generation Analysis on a Metal Foam in an Automotive Exhaust Line with Thermoelectric Generator

Abstract

In the present paper, an entropy generation analysis on a 2-D steady state problem in convective regime of an aluminum foam partially and totally filled channel with an external TEG element is solved in numerical way. The numerical analyses are accomplished with the assumption of the local thermal equilibrium (LTE) hypothesis in order to model the metal foam and heat transfer inside the channel. The working fluid is exhaust gas characterized by the same properties of the air in correspondence to the TEG upper surface temperature. The TEG is considered as a solid component characterized by an internal energy generation. The thermophysical properties are assumed temperature independent. Ansys-Fluent code is employed in order to resolve the governing equations for exhaust gas, metal foam and TEG. Different exhaust gas mass flow rates on the inlet section are assumed. Several thicknesses of aluminum foam values are employed. The porous media are characterized by a porosity from 0.90 to 0.978 and number of pores per inch (PPI) equal to 5, 10, 20, 40. Results are given in terms of global entropy generations related to the thermal and viscous effects. The total global entropy generation increases with increasing of exhaust gas flow rate for all pore density and porosity values. Bejan number decreases with the increment of mass flow rate and thickness. It increases when the porosity value increases whereas at high mass flow rate and for assigned porosity the values present small difference for different pore density values.