Radiation between Surfaces

A body at any temperature can exchange energy with its surroundings in the form of thermal radiation, which is characterized by the emission of electromagnetic waves from the body. It is the only mode of heat transfer that does not require a medium and can take place in a vacuum. Therefore, in space applications, it becomes important to understand the amount of heat incident on the systems. In terrestrial applications, where all three modes of heat transfer (conduction, convection, and radiation) are simultaneously active, understanding and quantifying the impact of thermal radiation on a system helps engineers design thermal management solutions. Depending on the material properties and the medium of heat transfer, the thermal radiation incident on a surface can be absorbed, reflected, or transmitted. In addition to this, the surface also emits thermal radiation. Estimating the net radiation on a surface is important for an engineer to quantitatively assess engineering designs. 

This SimCafe Course was developed by Dr. Rajesh Bhaskaran, Swanson Director of Engineering Simulation at Cornell University in partnership with Ansys. It was last modified by Sebastien Lachance-Barrett. It serves as an e-learning resource to integrate industry-standard simulation tools into courses and provides a resource for supplementary learning outside the classroom. In this course we show how to analyze and estimate the net thermal radiation of a system under realistic boundary conditions using Ansys Transient Thermal.

For more ways to learn, check out the Cornell edX course, A Hands-on Introduction to Engineering Simulations at ansys.com/cornell.

Cornell University also offers a Fluid Dynamics Simulations Using Ansys online certificate authored by Dr. Rajesh Bhaskaran. Learn more here: https://ecornell.cornell.edu/fluiddynamics.

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