Using the Finite-Volume Method and Hybrid Unstructured Meshes to Compute Radiative Heat Transfer in 3-D Geometries

Abstract

In this work an algorithm using the finite-volume method is presented for the parallelized computation of radiative heat transfer for absorbing, emitting, and either isotropically or anisotropically scattering gray media. Attention is mainly toward the extension of the finite-volume methodology to hybrid unstructured meshes, using a node-centered median-dual approach, with highly stretched elements at the solid wall regions, and the evaluation of its effectiveness and accuracy in such girds. As the parallelized calculation and the utilization of hybrid meshes are not common, results of the present algorithm against benchmark problems are used to demonstrate their equal potential.

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by ELXIS Engineering Consultants S.A. and the EUROSTARS Project (E!5292) “Structural and Aerodynamic Design of TUNnels under Fire Emergency Conditions.”