FINITE-ELEMENT FORMULATIONS FOR ACCURATE CALCULATION OF RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER IN DIFFUSE-GRAY ENCLOSURES

Abstract

Accurate formulations based on finite-element methods are developed for calculating radiant heat transfer among diffuse-gray surfaces in an enclosure. The method of Gebhart is compared with solutions of the rigorous integral equations using these formulations. A Swartz-Wendroff approximation applied to the finite-element discretizations yields higher-order-accurate analogs of view factors that depend on geometry only and can be readily employed for more accurate solution of general radiant heat transfer problems. The accuracy and efficiency of these approaches are presented in the context of a model problem representative of a high-temperature crystal growth system.