Forced convection heat transfer of water and air in plate channels filled with sintered bronze porous media was simulated numerically using a local thermal non-equilibrium model with consideration of the wall effect caused by heat conduction in the plate wall and in the unheated section of the sintered porous media. The numerical model was used to analyze the effects of the assumed boundary conditions, the porosity at the wall and the wall effect caused by the heat conduction. The results showed that the wall porosity in sintered porous media is less than that in non-sintered packed beds, which intensifies the convection heat transfer in sintered porous media. The wall effect reduces the heat transfer coefficient near the front of the heated section and slightly increases the heat transfer coefficient near the end of the heated section. Numerical simulations of convection heat transfer of air and water in sintered bronze porous media using the local thermal non-equilibrium model and the variable porosity model with consideration of the wall effect corresponded well to the experimental data. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.