Present study is undertaken to investigate the steady state heat transfer in a porous medium fixed in a vertical annular cylinder. A two-temperature, thermal non-equilibrium model is used to analyse the heat transfer behavior in the porous medium. The Darcy model of flow is employed. The inner surface of the vertical annulus is maintained at constant wall temperature and the outer surface remains at ambient temperature. The heat transfer is assumed to take place by natural convection and radiation. The equations governing the flow behavior are non-dimensionalised using suitable non-dimensional parameters and then solved using finite element method. Three-node triangular element is used to mesh the domain. The effect of various parameters such as aspect ratio, radius ratio of annulus, modified conductivity ratio, inter-phase heat transfer coefficient, radiation parameter and Rayleigh number on the heat transfer behavior is discussed. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.