Radiation Shape Factor or View Shape Factor
Radiation Shape Factor or View Shape Factor
The view factor Fij is defined as the fraction of the radiation leaving surface i that
is intercepted by surface j. To develop a general expression for Fij, we 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, _i, and _j vary
with the position of the elemental areas on Ai and Aj.
From the definition of the radiation intensity and the rate at which radiation leaves
dAi and is intercepted by dAj may be expressed as:
Where Ie_r,i is the intensity of radiation leaving surface i by emission and flection
and d_j_i is the solid angle subtended by dAj when viewed from dAi. With
d_j_i _ (cos _j dAj)/R2 it follows that
cos i cos j
dqi j=I e+r , i dAi dA j
R2
Assuming that surface i emits and reflects diffusely and substituting, we then obtain
cosi cos j
dqi j=J i dA i dA j
R2
The total rate at which radiation leaves surface i and is intercepted by j may then
be obtained by integrating over the two surfaces. That is,
cos i cos j
dqi j=J i 2
dAi dA j
Ai Aj R
where it is assumed that the radiosity Ji is uniform over the surface Ai. From the
definition of the view factor as the fraction of the radiation that leaves Ai and is
intercepted by Aj,
q i j
Fi j=
Ai Ji
It follows that;
1
cosi cos j
Fij =
Ai Ai Aj R 2
dA i dA j
Similarly, the view factor Fji is defined as the fraction of the radiation that leaves
Aj and is intercepted by Ai. The same development then yields.
1
cosi cos j
F ji =
A j Ai Aj R
2
dA i dA j
Either Equation may be used to determine the view factor associated with any two
surfaces that are diffuse emitters and reflectors and have uniform radiosity.
A i F ij = Ai F ji
This expression, termed the reciprocity relation, is useful in determining one view
factor from knowledge of the other.
F ij=1
j=1
may be applied to each of the N surfaces in the enclosure. This rule follows from
the conservation requirement that all radiation leaving surface i must be intercepted
by the enclosure surfaces. The term Fii appearing in this summation represents the
fraction of the radiation that leaves surface i and is directly intercepted by i. If the
surface is concave, it sees itself and Fii is nonzero. However, for a plane or convex
surface, Fii _ 0.
However, all the view factors need not be calculated directly. A total of N view
factors may be obtained from the N equations associated with application of the
summation rule, to each of the surfaces in the enclosure.
In addition, N(N _ 1)/2 view factors may be obtained from the N(N _ 1)/2
applications of the reciprocity relation, Equation 13.3, which are possible for the
enclosure. Accordingly, only [N2 _ N _ N(N _ 1)/2] _ N(N _ 1)/2 view factors
need be determined directly.
Figure 19.15: View factor for coaxial parallel disks [from: Fundamentals of Heat Transfer,
F.P. Incropera and D.P. DeWitt, John Wiley and Sons]
Figure 19.16: View factor for perpendicular rectangles with a common edge
[from: Fundamentals of Heat Transfer, F.P. Incropera and D.P. DeWitt, John Wiley and Sons]
2. When two bodies radiating energy with each other only, the shape factor relation
3. The shape factor of convex surface or flat surface with the other surface
enclosing the first is always unity. This is because all the radiation coming out
from the convex surface is intercepted by the enclosing surface but not
vice versa.
4. A concave surface has a shape factor with itself because the radiation energy
coming out from one part of the surface is intercepted by another part of the
same surface. The shape factor of a surface with respect to itself is denoted by
5. If n surfaces are taking part in radiation heat transfer then the energy radiated by
one is always intercepted by the remaining (n-l) surfaces and by the surface
itself also
: : :
: : :
In addition to the above equations, the reciprocal relation between any two surfaces
also holds good
F(1-2) A1 = F(2-1) A2 or F(1-3) A1 = F(3-1) A3 and so on.
6. The shape factor between the surfaces Al and A2 is equal to the sum of the shape
factors between the surface A2 and the surfaces which make the surface A1, This
point is illustrated as shown in Figure 1.
This states that the amount of radiated energy by A2 and intercepted by A1 is equal
to the sum of the radiated energy intercepted by the areas A 3 and A4 as shown in
Figure.
Consider two surfaces of areas Al and A2 are radiating heat to each other as shown
in Figure1. Let A1 be subdivided into A3 and A4 (i.e. A1 =A3+A4).
Therefore
F(1-2) A1= F(3-2) A3 + F(4-2) A4
For radiant exchange from A2 to A1 (divided into A3 and A4) one has
Therefore
: : :
: : :
The above representation admits the shape factors F1-1, F2-2, F3-3,. Fn-n , since
some of the surface may see themselves if they are concave.
Figure 2 shows an irregular cavity having an inner area A1 and is covered by a flat
surface of area A2. Configuration factor equations for this arrangement is written as
F1-1+F1-2= 1
F2-2 + F2-1=1
F2-1 = 1
F1-2 A1 = F(2-1) A2
F1-2 = A2 / A1
The above expression is valid for all types of the cavities as shown in Figures 3 (a),
(b), and (c).
(a) Shape factor of a cylindrical cavity of diameter D and height H with itself
(c) Shape factor of a conical cavity of diameter D and height H with itself
The shape factors F1-3 and F1-4 may be found easily from the graph as shown in
Figure 2.
ii) Both rectangles are displaced from the common intersection line.
The shape factors F5-6, F3-4, F5-4 and F3-6 may be found from graph as shown in
Figure 2.
A1 F1-2 = A3 F3-4
The shape factors F6-5, F1-4, and F3-2 may be found from graph as shown in
Figure 2.