The application of metal foam in the airside of heat exchanger has the potential to improve the heat transfer performance under wet conditions. In order to know the heat

mass transfer and pressure drop characteristics of wet air in metal foam

numerical models for water droplet formation

growth and movement are developed. The mass transfer rate model for droplet formation is based on the heterogeneous nucleation rate and critical nucleation radius of droplet; the mass transfer rate model for droplet growth is based on the species conservation of water vapor on phase interface between the droplet and moist air; the contact angle model of the droplet under combined effects of gravity and air forces is based on the force analysis of droplets on the ligament. The models of mass transfer rate during water droplet formation and growth processes and the model of contact angle are reflected in the continuity

momentum and energy conservation equations as the mass source term and momentum term

which realizes the simulation for the water droplet formation

growth and movement processes in metal foam. The experimental validation of the proposed model shows that

the maximum deviations of the heat transfer rate and pressure drop between the simulation results and experimental data are 11.9% and 17.7%

respectively.