A cooling apparatus (10) includes a housing defined by two aluminum parts
(12, 13) which are brazed to each other. A plurality of sector-shaped
recesses (21-28) are provided within the housing, and collectively define
a chamber having a plurality of ribs (41-48) extending therethrough. Each
recess contains a sector-shaped piece of porous material (17, 18), which
is brazed to surfaces of the housing parts. The remaining space within
the chamber is filled with a phase change material. Each of the ribs has
therein a respective radially extending opening (101-108) which contains
a heat pipe (141). Expansion accumulators (151) are mounted on the
housing, and communicate with the chamber therein, in order to
accommodate expansion of the phase change material within the chamber as
the phase change material is heated.