Test results from a helium gas-cooled porous metal heat exchanger

Mark T. North; John H. Rosenfeld; Dennis L. Youchison

doi:10.1117/12.259846

21 November 1996 Test results from a helium gas-cooled porous metal heat exchanger

Mark T. North, John H. Rosenfeld, Dennis L. Youchison

Proceedings Volume 2855, High Heat Flux Engineering III; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.259846
Event: SPIE's 1996 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1996, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

A helium-cooled porous metal heat exchanger was built and tested, which successfully absorbed heat fluxes exceeding all previously tested gas-cooled designs. Helium-cooled plasma-facing components are being evaluated for fusion applications. Helium is a favorable coolant for fusion devices because it is not a plasma contaminant, it is not easily activated, and it is easily removed from the device in the event of a leak. The main drawback of gas coolants is their relatively poor thermal transport properties. This limitation can be removed through use of a highly efficient heat exchanger design. A low flow resistance porous metal heat exchanger design was developed, based on the requirements of the Faraday shield for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor device. High heat flux tests were conducted on two representative test articles at the Plasma Materials Test Facility at Sandia National Laboratories. Absorbed heat fluxes as high as 40 MW/m² were successfully removed during these tests without failure of the devices. Commercial applications for electronics cooling and other high heat flux applications are being identified.

Citation Download Citation

Mark T. North, John H. Rosenfeld, and Dennis L. Youchison "Test results from a helium gas-cooled porous metal heat exchanger", Proc. SPIE 2855, High Heat Flux Engineering III, (21 November 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.259846

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