A numerical experiment of radiant heat interchange by the monte carlo method

Abstract Radiant heat interchange between simply arranged surfaces having direction dependent characteristics has been studied by the statistical method known as Monte Carlo. The diffuse and specular constant property, the specular directional emission and reflection, and the directional emission and the bidirectional reflection models have been explored with the preliminary goal of understanding what level of detail is important in the description of the radiation properties of surfaces. Four simple configurations which permit a critical examination of the directional effects have been examined. Results showed that under some conditions the choice of the model for radiation surface characteristics can be very critical for both the local radiant heat flux and for overall radiant interchange calculations.