Radiation 1

MMU FET EME 4016

HEAT TRANSFER
RADIATION 1

Thermal radiation is the mode of heat transfer by electromagnetic (EM) waves that are in the range of
wavelengths = 0.1 to 100 , and includes ultraviolet, visible light (0.38 0.76 ), and infrared
regions. All bodies above 0 K emit radiation. The characteristics are
(1) A medium is not necessary for radiation heat transfer.
(2) The radiation effect gets more important as the temperature difference increases.
(3) It is more difficult to analyse than conduction and convection because of the wavelength effect
and the integral effect. However, we will mainly only study the radiative heat transfer between
surfaces, and not the temperature field.
Physical Mechanism
Radiation obeys the law = , where is the speed of light (3 108 /), is the wavelength and
is the frequency.
Radiation also obeys the quantum energy law = , where is the quantum of energy, is Planks
constant (not convection coefficient), and is again the frequency. h =6.625 10-34 J.s
Radiation from a black body has a distribution in energy that depends on wavelength as well as on the
temperature of the body, and is governed by Plancks law (1901), derived from quantum-statistical
thermodynamics:
(, ) =

2 2 5

(
)
1

In the above equation, is the radiation flux per unit wavelength for a black body [W/m2 per m], c is
the speed of light, T is the absolute temperature [K], and k is Boltzmanns constant (not thermal
conductivity now). k = 1.3806610-23 J/moleculeK
When Plancks law is integrated over all wavelengths, the total radiation emitted is called the emissive
power of the black body , in [W/m2], given by

= 0 = 5.669 108 4
where the constant is in [W/m2K4] and known as Stefan-Boltzmanns constant (). The result is StefanBoltzmanns law.

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Radiation functions
In theory, the radiation from a black body within any band of wavelengths can be calculated by
evaluating the integration of radiation flux per unit wavelength over that range of wavelengths. In
practice, we use a pre-calculated radiation functions table instead of doing the integration.
The radiation function F is a ratio of the radiation from wavelengths 0 to , to the total radiation (from 0
to ).

F=

= ,0 =

,0
4

,0

However, because there is another variable temperature T involved, it would be more useful to use
radiation functions based on the product T instead of just . It turns out F is indeed a function of T, so
we can write
F=

,0
4

,0
4

where the term ,0 represents the radiation emitted from T=0 to the current T.
Hence the radiation emitted from 1 to 2 is represented by ,1 2 = ( ,02 - ,01 )
Re-writing shows the method to calculate ,1 2 as
,1 2 = 4 [(

,02
4

,01

)(

)]

The ratios in the parenthesis (the Fs) are obtained from the table.
Example
A black surface is at 800. Calculate the fraction of the total energy emitted between 3 and 4 .

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Wiens displacement law
This law states that in the variation of radiation flux per unit wavelength for a black body with respect to
the wavelength, there is a peak, corresponding to the wavelength . As the temperature of the body
increases, the peak shifts to a lower wavelength in accordance with the rectangular hyperbola
= 2897.6

Radiation properties
Although any body above 0 K gives out radiation following the S-B law, when an external radiation is
incident to a body, three additional effects may occur. The incident radiation may be reflected, absorbed
or transmitted. The fraction of radiation reflected is called reflectivity (), the fraction absorbed is called
absorptivity (), and the fraction transmitted is called transmissivity (). Obviously, for conservation of
energy, + + = 1.

In general, there are two types of reflection, specular reflection, where the radiation is reflected like by
a mirror, and diffuse reflection where the radiation is reflected to all direction. Real surfaces may have
both characteristics.

Gray body
For a non-black or gray body or surface, its emissive power is less than that of a black body , for the
same temperature. Thus < , and we may define a ratio called emissivity .
=

Obviously, for a black body, its emissivity is 1. For a gray body, =

Kirchhorffs law
Kirchhorffs law states that for a gray body in thermal equilibrium, emissivity is equal to absorptivity. In
equation form, = . For a black body, = = 1, meaning all radiation incident are absorbed, and
radiation of all wavelengths are emitted.
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Emissivity of real surfaces

The gray body is an idealized real body, or its emissivity is an averaged value of a real surface.

RADIATION EXCHANGE BETWEEN BLACK BODIES

(a) Special case of infinite parallel plates
For two infinite parallel plates 1 and 2, or two finite parallel plates close to each other, there is a
net heat transfer by radiation from 1 to 2, if 1 > 2 , given by
= 14 24 = (14 24 )
Or
= (14 24 ), where = 1 = 2

(b) General case where geometry is important.

When not all the radiation from one surface reaches the other surface, then the geometry is
important. For two general surfaces with areas and named 1 and 2 , and at temperatures 1 and
2 , respectively, the net heat transfer between them may be viewed from two references.
From the point of view of 1 , the net heat transfer by radiation is 12 = 1 12 (14 24 ),
where represents the fraction of net radiation from that reaches .
The 12 is known as a view factor, or shape factor, or configuration factor, or geometric factor,
or simply F factor.

However, from the point of view of 2 , the net heat transfer by radiation is
21 = 2 21 (24 14 ),
where 21 represents the fraction of net radiation from 2 that reaches 1 .

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Clearly, both net heat transfers are the same (there is only one net heat transfer to speak of), we
must have 21 = 12
Or

2 21 (24 14 ) = 1 12 (14 24 )

This gives the relation =

This is known as the reciprocity relation, a useful relation in view factor manipulation.
In general, in a multiple surfaces situation, the reciprocity relation can always be written for any
pairs of surfaces.

(c) Network representation

We can re-write the heat rate equation 12 = 1 12 (14 24 ) as
12 = 1 12 (14 24 ) = 1 12 (1 2 ) =
In this way, we can see that the (

1 12

1
1 12

) can be regarded as a thermal resistance driven by the

potential of .

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(d) View factors manipulation
View factor derivations have been widely studied, using purely geometry considerations. In this
course, we will obtain basic view factors from charts (or tables or given equations), and we will
learn manipulations to derive other view factors based on the known basic or given view factors.
In addition to the reciprocity relation, the conservation of energy relation is useful in view factor
manipulations. For instance, if there are 3 surfaces in an enclosure as shown, we can write straight
away the following:
11 + 12 + 13 = 1
21 + 22 + 23 = 1
31 + 32 + 33 = 1

Example 1
Two parallel black plates 0.5 by 1.0 m are spaced 0.5 m apart. One plate is maintained at 1000
and the other at 500 . What is the net radiant heat exchange between the two plates?

Example 2
Two parallel rectangular plates are each divided into two equal areas as shown. The four surfaces
are denoted by equal areas 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 . Describe a way to calculate the view factor 14.

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View factors between parallel coaxial disks

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