Assessment of the finite-volume method and the discrete ordinate method for radiative heat transfer in a three-dimensional rectangular enclosure

Abstract

The finite-volume method (FVM) and the discrete ordinate method (DOM) are implemented to assess their capability to predict radiative heat transfer in a three-dimensional enclosure. A varying optical thickness and a nonuniform temperature profile are assumed to reproduce a typical furnace. Results show that the FVM performs better than the DOM in optically thin media, while they show comparable accuracy in optically thick media. The lower-order FVM and DOM may lead to erroneous results due to the my effect in optically thin media with a highly nonuniform temperature profile. The 8 X 12 FVM and the S-8 DOM have shown good accuracy in all the test cases in this article.