Theoretical analysis of thermal radiative equilibrium via a radiosity method

Abstract

AbstractWe propose a theoretical consideration of thermal radiative equilibrium via a radiosity method. According to G. Kirchhoff's research on cavity radiation, the condition of radiative equilibrium arises in a cavity in which the internal wall temperature is uniform. Furthermore, by considering the balance of energy on the wall surfaces in the cavity, the relationship, emittance ϵ = absorptance α, is obtained. Adversely, in the present study, we developed a method to prove the conclusion of the uniformity and uniqueness of radiative equilibrium in the cavity (independent of the emittance of the interior wall surfaces) by considering the relationship ϵ = α on the wall surfaces to be a supposition. Using the concept of radiosity, we proved that the radiosities on the internal wall surfaces can be kept uniform in the enclosed system of thermal radiative equilibrium. This knowledge is advantageous for inspecting the benchmarks of various programs for radiative analysis. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj). DOI 10.1002/htj.20372