Lecture 16

Radiation Heat Transfer

Asad Akhter Naqvi

The View Factor
• Radiation heat transfer between surfaces depends on the orientation of the
surfaces relative to each other as well as their radiation properties and
temperatures.
• A person will maximize the amount of solar radiation incident on him and
take a sunbath by lying down on his back instead of standing up on his
feet.
• To account for the effects of orientation on radiation heat transfer between
two surfaces, we define a new parameter called the view factor.

Point Source Asad Akhter Naqvi

The View Factor
The view factor from a surface i to a surface j is denoted by 𝐹𝑖→𝑗 or just 𝐹𝑖𝑗 , and is
defined as
𝑭𝒊𝒋 =the fraction of the radiation leaving surface 𝒊 that strikes surface j directly

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The View Factor
➢ Consider the arbitrarily oriented surfaces 𝐴𝑖 and 𝐴𝑗
➢ Elemental areas on each surface, 𝑑𝐴𝑖 and 𝑑𝐴𝑗 , are connected
by a line of length 𝑅, which forms the polar angles 𝑖 and 𝑗,
respectively, with the surface normal 𝒏𝒊 and 𝒏𝒋 .
➢ The values of R, 𝜃𝑖 and 𝜃𝑗 vary with the position of the
elemental areas on 𝐴𝑖 and 𝐴𝑗 .
➢ The rate at which radiation leaves 𝑑𝐴𝑖 and is intercepted by 𝑑𝐴𝑗
may be expressed as
𝒅𝒒𝒊→𝒋 = 𝑰𝒆+𝒓,𝒊 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽𝒊 𝒅𝑨𝒊 𝒅𝝎𝒋−𝒊

𝑑𝐴𝑗 cos 𝜃𝑗
𝑑𝜔𝑗−𝑖 =
𝑅2
𝐼𝑒+𝑟,𝑖 cos 𝜃𝑖 cos 𝜃𝑗 𝑑𝐴𝑖 𝑑𝐴𝑗
𝑑𝑞𝑖→𝑗 =
𝑅2
➢ Assuming that surface i emits and reflects diffusely
𝑱=𝑬
𝐸𝑖 𝐽𝑖
𝐼𝑖 = = Asad Akhter Naqvi
𝜋 𝜋
The View Factor
𝐼𝑒+𝑟,𝑖 cos 𝜃𝑖 cos 𝜃𝑗 𝑑𝐴𝑖 𝑑𝐴𝑗 𝐽𝑖 cos 𝜃𝑖 cos 𝜃𝑗 𝑑𝐴𝑖 𝑑𝐴𝑗
𝑑𝑞𝑖→𝑗 = 𝑑𝑞𝑖→𝑗 =
𝑅2 𝜋𝑅 2
➢ The total rate at which radiation leaves surface i and is intercepted by
j may then be obtained by integrating over the two surfaces.

➢ From the definition of the view factor as the fraction of the radiation
that leaves 𝐴𝑖 and is intercepted by 𝐴𝑗
𝑞𝑖→𝑗
𝐹𝑖𝑗 =
𝐴𝑖 𝐽𝑖

➢ Similarly, the view factor 𝑭𝒋𝒊 is defined as the fraction of the

radiation that leaves 𝐴𝑗 and is intercepted by 𝐴𝑖

➢ Above Equations may be used to determine the view factor associated

with any two surfaces that are diffuse emitters and reflectors and have
uniform radiosity. Asad Akhter Naqvi
View Factor Relations
Reciprocity relation
➢ The view factor for surface i and j are found as:

➢ Solving these two equations

𝑨𝒊 𝑭𝒊𝒋 = 𝑨𝒋 𝑭𝒋𝒊
➢ This expression, termed as reciprocity relation.
➢ It is useful in determining one view factor from knowledge
of the other.

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 4
View Factor Relations 5
Summation Rule 3

➢ When formulating a radiation problem, we usually form an

enclosure consisting of the surfaces interacting radiatively.
➢ The conservation of energy principle requires that the entire 6 2
radiation leaving any surface i of an enclosure be intercepted
by the surfaces of the enclosure.
➢ Therefore, the sum of the view factors from surface i of an
enclosure to all surfaces of the enclosure, including to
itself, must equal unity. 𝑁 1

෍ 𝐹𝑖𝑗 = 1
𝑗=1
4
➢ This is known as the summation rule.
3
➢ For example, applying the summation rule to surface 1 of a 5
six-surface enclosure yields
6 2
6
෍ 𝐹1𝑗 = 𝐹11 + 𝐹12 + 𝐹13 + 𝐹14 + 𝐹15 + 𝐹16 = 1
𝑗=1

For first case 𝐹11 = 0 For second case 𝐹11 ≠ 0

Asad Akhter Naqvi 1
View Factor Relations
Summation Rule
➢ The summation rule can be applied to each surface of an
enclosure by varying i from 1 to N
➢ Therefore, the summation rule applied to each of the N surfaces
of an enclosure gives N relations for the determination of the
view factors.
➢ Then the total number of view factors that need to be evaluated
directly for an N-surface enclosure becomes

➢ For example, for a six-surface enclosure

➢ 15 view factors will be determined directly .

➢ The remaining 21 view factors can be determined from the 21
equations that are obtained by applying the reciprocity and the
summation rules.
Asad Akhter Naqvi
View Factor Relations
Summation Rule
➢ Since all radiation leaving the inner surface must reach the
outer surface
𝐹12 = 1
➢ From Summation Rule
𝐹11 = 0
➢ Using Reciprocating Rule

𝐴1 𝐹12 = 𝐴2 𝐹21
𝐴1
𝐹21 =
𝐴2

𝐴1
𝐹22 =1−
𝐴2

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View Factor Relations
➢ View factors for several common geometries are presented in Tables 13.1
and 13.2 and Figures 13.4 through 13.6.

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Blackbody Radiation Exchange
➢ Consider radiation exchange between two black surfaces of arbitrary
shape 𝐽𝑗 = 𝐸𝑏𝑗
➢ The rate at which radiation leaves surface i and is intercepted by
surface j
𝑞𝑖→𝑗 = (𝐴𝑖 𝐽𝑖 )𝐹𝑖𝑗
𝐴𝑗 𝑇𝑗
➢ Since radiosity equals emissive power for a black surface (𝐽𝑖 = 𝐸𝑏𝑖 )
𝑞𝑖→𝑗 = 𝐴𝑖 𝐹𝑖𝑗 𝐸𝑏𝑖
Similarly
𝑞𝑗→𝑖 = 𝐴𝑗 𝐹𝑗𝑖 𝐸𝑏𝑗
𝐽𝑖 = 𝐸𝑏𝑖
➢ The net radiative exchange between the two surfaces may then be 𝐴𝑖 𝑇𝑖
defined as
𝑞𝑖𝑗 = 𝑞𝑖→𝑗 − 𝑞𝑗→𝑖
from which it follows that
𝑞𝑖𝑗 = 𝐴𝑖 𝐹𝑖𝑗 𝐸𝑏𝑖 − 𝐴𝑗 𝐹𝑗𝑖 𝐸𝑏𝑗
𝑞𝑖𝑗 = 𝐴𝑖 𝐹𝑖𝑗 (𝐸𝑏𝑖 −𝐸𝑏𝑗 )
𝑞𝑖𝑗 = 𝐴𝑖 𝐹𝑖𝑗 𝜎(𝑇𝑖4 − 𝑇𝑗4 )
Asad Akhter Naqvi