Optimizing porous media microstructure characteristics for high heat flux application

Tailored porous media is a proposed method of achieving higher heat transfer coefficients while seeking to maintain an acceptable pressure drop when using gas coolants such as helium. This paper summarizes the results of our recent effort on optimizing the design and microstructure characteristics of a porous medium for high heat flux application. The design optimization analyses were carried out with our general porous flow model (MERLOT). The Model of Energy-transfer Rate for fLow in Open-porosity Tailored-media (MERLOT) was specifically updated for this task.