K-Max: a material with exceptional heat transfer properties

K-Max, a solid biporous material that has exceptional heat transfer properties similar to those of heat pipes but can be formed into any shape, bear mechanical loads, and have isotropic thermal conductivity like other solid structures, is introduced. Using porous bed flow correlations, an analytical model has been derived for the temperature drops and heat flux limits for heat transfer through K-Max, with and without gas buffering, as a function of material design parameters. The operating principles and the analytical model of K-MAX have been confirmed experimentally in both cases. Illustrative examples of its potential use are described. >