Thermal effectiveness of shape—I

Abstract

Data from our earlier paper ∗ ∗ The Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering, 9, April–June, 1965, No. 2, p. 95. are used to project diurnal temperature curves representing average temperatures of surfaces, exposed to the sky dome, of a variety of geometric shapes. Two curves for each shape are included: one for smooth white surfaces, and one for smooth black. This is the first step toward establishing a method for comparing the thermal effectiveness of geometric shapes in terms of net radiant exchange plus or minus convected exchange with the sky dome in relatively clear, hot, dry summer climates.