A general ray tracing approach for solving thermal radiation in regular one-dimensional variable index media via the Monte Carlo method

Abstract

In the heat transfer community, one-dimensional media refers to some media where the temperature and other thermophysical properties vary along one direction. Plane-parallel, concentric cylindrical, and concentric spherical geometries are among of regular one-dimensional media. In this paper, a general ray tracing approach is presented to track the curve paths of energy particles in regular one-dimensional variable index media. The domain of interest is limited by specular sidewalls and the medium is divided into slices with constant temperature and radiative properties. Then, the path of random energy particles emitted from boundary surfaces and volume elements are traced, element by element, until they absorb by diffuse-gray surfaces or the gray medium. After counting the number of absorbed particles by each boundary surface and volume element, the Monte Carlo method is performed to simulate thermal radiation heat transfer. The results are presented for three regular geometries, including plane-parallel, concentric cylindrical, and concentric spherical media, and the effects of radiative properties are investigated by some numerical experiments.