A one-dimensional heat transfer model for open-cell metal foam is presented. The model combines the conduction in the ligaments and the convection to the coolant in the pores. The approach avoids a complete three-dimensional modeling of the complex flow and heat transfer inside the foam. The temperature along the foam decayed exponentially with the distance from the heated base. The model and the one-dimensional assumption were verified by direct experiment on a thin aluminum foam sample of ten pores per inch for a range of pore Reynolds number. Good agreement was found between the analytical and the experimental results. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.