Evaluation of porous media heat exchangers for plasma facing components

Abstract

Several types of porous media heat exchangers are being evaluated for use in cooled plasma-facing components. Monel/water thermosyphon heat pipes with a porous metal wick are being evaluated for use in Faraday shields. A subscale prototype has been fabricated, and tests at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are being planned. An advanced gyrotron microwave cavity is being developed which uses water cooling in a copper porous metal heat exchanger. Tests on a single-cell prototype demonstrated absorbed heat flux capability in excess of 60 MW/m/sup 2/. Porous metal heat exchangers with helium, water, or liquid metal coolants are being evaluated for divertor cooling. Tests on helium/copper porous metal heat exchanger demonstrated absorbed heat flux capability in excess of 15 MW/m/sup 2/. Applications, conceptual designs, fabricated hardware and test results are summarized.