Patent ID: 8191616

Claim:
A combined thermal protection and surface temperature control apparatus comprising: a porous member comprising an entrance side, and a separate exit side, wherein said porous member has a plurality of thermally conductive plugs disposed in said porous member; one or more coolant entrance channels extending through said and further entrance side, extending through said porous member, towards said exit side and ending within said porous member before reaching said exit side; and one or more coolant exit channels beginning within said porous member, and extending through said porous member, towards said exit side and extending through said exit side, wherein said thermally conductive plugs extend part-way through said porous member from a top side of said porous member to a portion of a thickness of said porous member, said thermally conductive plugs having bottom surfaces ending at a depth equal to bottom ends of said coolant entrance channels and said coolant exit channels.