You are on page 1of 50

Tutorial 5.

Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Introduction
In this tutorial combined radiation and natural convection are solved in a two-dimensional
square box on a mesh consisting of quadrilateral elements.
This tutorial demonstrates how to do the following:

• Use the radiation models in FLUENT (Rosseland, P-1, DTRM, discrete ordinates
(DO), and surface-to-surface (S2S)) and understand their ranges of application.

• Use the Boussinesq model for density.

• Set the boundary conditions for a heat transfer problem involving natural convec-
tion and radiation.

• Separate a single wall zone into multiple wall zones.

• Change the properties of an existing fluid material.

• Calculate a solution using the pressure-based solver.

• Display velocity vectors and contours of stream function and temperature for flow
visualization.

Prerequisites
This tutorial assumes that you are familiar with the menu structure in FLUENT and that
you have completed Tutorial 1 . Some steps in the setup and solution procedure will not
be shown explicitly.

Problem Description
The problem to be considered is shown schematically in Figure 5.1. A square box of side
L has a hot right wall at T = 2000 K, a cold left wall at T = 1000 K, and adiabatic
top and bottom walls. Gravity acts downwards. A buoyant flow develops because of
thermally-induced density gradients. The medium contained in the box is assumed to be
absorbing and emitting, so that the radiant exchange between the walls is attenuated by
absorption and augmented by emission in the medium. All walls are black. The objective
is to compute the flow and temperature patterns in the box, as well as the wall heat flux,


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-1
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

using the radiation models available in FLUENT, and to compare their performance for
different values of the optical thickness aL.
The working fluid has a Prandtl number of approximately 0.71, and the Rayleigh number
based on L is 5 × 105 . This means the flow is inherently laminar. The Boussinesq
assumption is used to model buoyancy. The Planck number k/(4σLT03 ) is 0.02, and
measures the relative importance of conduction to radiation; here T0 = (Th + Tc )/2.
Three values for the optical thickness are considered: aL = 0, aL = 0.2, and aL = 5.
Note that the values of physical properties and operating conditions (e.g., gravitational
acceleration) have been adjusted to yield the desired Prandtl, Rayleigh, and Planck
numbers.
Adiabatic
ρ = 1000 kg/m3
4
cp= 1.1030x10 J/kgK
k = 15.309 W/mK
-3
µ = 10 kg/ms
Tc= 1000 K

T = 2000 K
-5
h
g ➢ β = 10 1/K

-5
g = -6.96 x 10 m/s2
a = 0, 0.2, 5 1/m
y L=1m
5
x Ra = 5 x 10
Pr = 0.71
Pl = 0.02
L τ = 0.2, 5

Figure 5.1: Schematic of the Problem

Setup and Solution


Preparation
1. Download radiation_natural_convection.zip from the Fluent Inc. User Ser-
vices Center or copy it from the FLUENT documentation CD to your working
folder (as described in Tutorial 1).

2. Unzip radiation_natural_convection.zip.
rad.msh can be found in the radiation natural convection folder created after
unzipping the file.

3. Start the 2D (2d) version of FLUENT.

5-2
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Step 1: Grid
1. Read the mesh file rad.msh.
File −→ Read −→Case...
As the mesh is read in, messages will appear in the console reporting the progress
of the reading. The mesh size will be reported as 2500 cells.

2. Check the grid.


Grid −→Check
FLUENT will perform various checks on the mesh and report the progress in the
console. Make sure that the minimum volume reported is a positive number.

3. Display the grid.


Display −→Grid...

(a) Retain the default settings.


(b) Click Display to view the grid in the graphics display window (Figure 5.2).
(c) Close the Grid Display panel.
Note: All of the walls are currently contained in a single wall zone, wall-4. You
will need to separate them out into four different walls in the next step so that
you can specify different boundary conditions for each wall.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-3
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Grid
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.2: Graphics Display of Grid

4. Separate the single wall zone into four wall zones.


Grid −→ Separate −→Faces...
Faces with normal vectors that differ by more than 89◦ are placed in separate zones.
Since the four wall zones are perpendicular (angle = 90◦ ), wall-4 will be separated
into four zones when you set the angle to 89◦ in this step .

(a) Retain the default Angle separation method in the Options list.
(b) Select wall-4 from the Zones selection list.
(c) Enter 89◦ for the Angle.
(d) Click Separate to split the single wall into four zones.
There are now four wall zones for wall-4 listed under Zones in the Separate
Face Zones panel. The new zone information is also reported in the console.

5-4
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

(e) Close the Separate Face Zones panel.

5. Display the grid again.


Display −→Grid...
(a) Select all of the surfaces to display by clicking the shaded icon to the right of
Surfaces.
(b) Click Display to view the grid in the graphics window.
Verify that you now have four different wall zones instead of only one. To do
this, right-click on one of the wall boundaries in the graphics window to check
which wall zone number corresponds to each wall boundary. Information will
be displayed in the FLUENT console about the associated zone, including the
name of the zone. This feature is especially useful when you have several zones
of the same type and you want to distinguish between them quickly. In some
cases, you may want to disable the display of the interior grid so as to more
accurately select the boundaries for identification.
(c) Close the Grid Display panel.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-5
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Step 2: Models
As discussed earlier, in this tutorial you will define each radiation model in turn, obtain
a solution, and then postprocess the results. You will start with the Rosseland model,
then use the P-1 model, the discrete transfer radiation model (DTRM), and the discrete
ordinates (DO) model. At the end of the tutorial, you will use the surface-to-surface
(S2S) model.

1. Retain the default solver settings.


Define −→ Models −→Solver...

2. Define the Rosseland radiation model.


Define −→ Models −→Radiation...

5-6
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

(a) Select Rosseland in the Model list.


(b) Click OK to close the Radiation Model panel.
FLUENT will present an Information dialog box telling you that new material
properties have been added for the radiation model. You will be setting prop-
erties later so you can simply click OK in the dialog box to acknowledge this
information.
Note: FLUENT will automatically enable the energy calculation when you se-
lect a radiation model, so you need not visit the Energy panel.

3. Add the effect of gravity to the model.


Define −→Operating Conditions...

(a) Enable the Gravity option in the Gravity group box.


The panel will expand to show additional inputs.
(b) Enter -6.94e-5 m/s2 for Y in the Gravitational Acceleration group box.
As previously mentioned, the gravitational acceleration is adjusted to yield the
correct dimensionless quantities for Prandtl, Rayleigh, and Planck numbers.
See Figure 5.1 and the associated comments.
(c) Enter 1000 K for Operating Temperature in the Boussinesq Parameters group
box.
The operating temperature will be used by the Boussinesq model which you will
enable in the next step.
(d) Click OK to close the Operating Conditions panel and set the parameters.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-7
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Step 3: Materials
The default fluid material is air which is the working fluid in this problem. However,
since you are working with a fictitious fluid whose properties have been adjusted to give
the desired values of the dimensionless parameters, you must change the default properties
for air. You will use an optical thickness aL of 0.2 for this calculation. (Since L = 1, the
absorption coefficient a will be set to 0.2.) Later in the tutorial, results for an optically
thick medium with aL = 5 and non-participating medium with aL = 0 are computed to
show how the different radiation models behave for different optical thicknesses.

1. Define the material properties.


Define −→Materials...

(a) Select boussinesq from the drop-down list for Density and then enter 1000 to
set the density to 1000 kg/m3 .
For details about the Boussinesq model, see the User’s Guide.
(b) Enter 1.103e4 J/kg-K for Cp to set the specific heat.
(c) Enter 15.309 W/m-K for Thermal Conductivity.
(d) Enter 0.001 kg/m-s for Viscosity.

5-8
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

(e) Enter 0.2 m−1 for Absorption Coefficient


Use the scroll bar to access the properties that are not initially visible in the
panel.
(f) Retain the default values for Scattering Coefficient, Scattering Phase Function,
and Refractive Index since there is no scattering in this problem.
(g) Enter 1e-5 K−1 for Thermal Expansion Coefficient (used by the Boussinesq
model).
(h) Click Change/Create and then close the Materials panel.

Step 4: Boundary Conditions


Define −→Boundary Conditions...


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-9
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

1. Set the boundary conditions for the left wall (wall-4).

(a) Enter left-wall for Zone Name.


(b) Click the Thermal tab.
i. Select Temperature from the Thermal Conditions list.
ii. Enter 1000 K for Temperature.
(c) Click OK to set the conditions and close the Wall panel.

5-10
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

2. Set the boundary conditions for the top wall (wall-4:005).

(a) Enter top-wall for Zone Name.


(b) Click the Thermal tab and retain the default thermal conditions (Heat Flux of
0) to specify an adiabatic wall.
(c) Click OK to set the conditions and close the Wall panel.

3. Set the boundary conditions for the bottom wall (wall-4:006).


Note: The bottom wall should be called wall-4:006, but to be sure that you have the
correct wall use your right mouse button to click on the bottom wall in the
graphics window. When you do this, the corresponding zone will be selected
automatically in the Zone list in the Boundary Conditions panel. You can do
this when you set boundary conditions for the other walls as well to be sure
that you are defining the correct conditions.
(a) Enter bottom-wall for Zone Name.
(b) Click the Thermal tab and retain the default thermal conditions (Heat Flux of
0) to specify an adiabatic wall.
(c) Click OK to set the conditions and close the Wall panel.
Note: The Rosseland model does not require you to set a wall emissivity.
Later in the tutorial you will need to define the wall emissivity for the
other radiation models.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-11
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

4. Set the boundary conditions for the right wall (wall-4:007).


(a) Enter right-wall for Zone Name.
(b) Click the Thermal tab.
i. Select Temperature from the Thermal Conditions list.
ii. Enter 2000 K for Temperature.
(c) Click OK to set the conditions and close the Wall panel.

5. Close the Boundary Conditions panel.

Step 5: Solution for the Rosseland Model


1. Set the parameters that control the solution.
Solve −→ Controls −→Solution...

(a) Retain the default selected Equations and the default Under-Relaxation Factors.
(b) Select PRESTO! from the Pressure drop-down list in the Discretization group
box.
(c) Select Second Order Upwind from the Momentum and Energy drop-down lists.
(d) Click OK to set the parameters and close the Solution Controls panel.

5-12
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

2. Initialize the flow field.


Solve −→ Initialize −→Initialize...

(a) Enter 1500 K for Temperature to set the initial temperature.


(b) Click Init and then close the Solution Initialization panel.
3. Enable the plotting of residuals during the calculation.
Solve −→ Monitors −→Residual...


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-13
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

(a) Enable Plot in the Options group box.


(b) Click OK to set the conditions and close the Residual Monitors panel.
Note: There is no extra residual for the radiation heat transfer because the Rosse-
land model does not solve extra transport equations for radiation; instead, it
augments the thermal conductivity in the energy equation. When you use the
P-1 and DO radiation models, which both solve additional transport equations,
you will see additional residuals for radiation.

4. Save the case file (rad ross.cas).


File −→ Write −→Case...

5. Start the calculation by requesting 200 iterations.


Solve −→Iterate...

(a) Enter 200 for Number of Iterations.


(b) Click Iterate.
The results of the solution will be reported in the console. The solution will
converge in approximately 180 iterations.
(c) Close the Iterate panel.

6. Save the data file (rad ross.dat).


File −→ Write −→Data...

5-14
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Step 6: Postprocessing for the Rosseland Model


1. Display velocity vectors.
Display −→Vectors...

(a) Retain the default settings.


(b) Click Display to view the vectors in the graphics display window (Figure 5.3).
(c) Close the Vectors panel.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-15
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

2.11e-04
2.01e-04
1.90e-04
1.80e-04
1.69e-04
1.58e-04
1.48e-04
1.37e-04
1.27e-04
1.16e-04
1.06e-04
9.51e-05
8.45e-05
7.40e-05
6.34e-05
5.28e-05
4.23e-05
3.17e-05
2.11e-05
1.06e-05
3.34e-09

Velocity Vectors Colored By Velocity Magnitude (m/s)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.3: Velocity Vectors for the Rosseland Model

2. Display contours of stream function.


Display −→Contours...

(a) Select Velocity... and Stream Function from the Contours of drop-down lists.
(b) Click Display to view the contours in the graphics display window (Figure 5.4).

5-16
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

(c) Close the Contours panel.


The recirculatory patterns observed are due to the natural convection in the box.
At a low optical thickness (0.2), radiation should not have a large influence on the
flow. The flow pattern is expected to be similar to that obtained with no radiation
(Figure 5.5). However, the Rosseland model predicts a flow pattern that is very
symmetric (Figure 5.4), and quite different from the pure natural convection case.
This discrepancy occurs because the Rosseland model is not appropriate for small
optical thickness.

7.02e-02
6.67e-02
6.32e-02
5.97e-02
5.62e-02
5.26e-02
4.91e-02
4.56e-02
4.21e-02
3.86e-02
3.51e-02
3.16e-02
2.81e-02
2.46e-02
2.11e-02
1.75e-02
1.40e-02
1.05e-02
7.02e-03
3.51e-03
0.00e+00

Contours of Stream Function (kg/s)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.4: Contours of Stream Function for the Rosseland Model

Extra: If you want to compute the results without radiation yourself, turn off all
the radiation models in the Radiation Model panel, set the under-relaxation
factor for energy to 0.8 in the Solution Controls panel, and iterate the solu-
tion until convergence. (Remember to reset the under-relaxation factor to 1
(the default value) before continuing with the tutorial). Compare the stream
function contours without radiation (Figure 5.5) to the plot with the Rosseland
radiation model enabled (Figure 5.4).


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-17
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

1.97e-02
1.87e-02
1.77e-02
1.67e-02
1.58e-02
1.48e-02
1.38e-02
1.28e-02
1.18e-02
1.08e-02
9.85e-03
8.87e-03
7.88e-03
6.90e-03
5.91e-03
4.93e-03
3.94e-03
2.96e-03
1.97e-03
9.85e-04
0.00e+00

Contours of Stream Function (kg/s)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.5: Contours of Stream Function with No Radiation

3. Display filled contours of temperature.


Display −→Contours...

(a) Enable Filled in the Options group box.

5-18
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

(b) Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Contours of drop-down
lists.
(c) Click Display to view the filled contours in the graphics display window (Fig-
ure 5.6).
(d) Close the Contours panel.

2.00e+03
1.95e+03
1.90e+03
1.85e+03
1.80e+03
1.75e+03
1.70e+03
1.65e+03
1.60e+03
1.55e+03
1.50e+03
1.45e+03
1.40e+03
1.35e+03
1.30e+03
1.25e+03
1.20e+03
1.15e+03
1.10e+03
1.05e+03
1.00e+03

Contours of Static Temperature (k)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.6: Contours of Temperature for the Rosseland Model

The Rosseland model predicts a temperature field (Figure 5.6) very different from
that obtained without radiation (Figure 5.7). For the low optical thickness in this
problem, the temperature field predicted by the Rosseland model is not physical.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-19
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

2.00e+03
1.95e+03
1.90e+03
1.85e+03
1.80e+03
1.75e+03
1.70e+03
1.65e+03
1.60e+03
1.55e+03
1.50e+03
1.45e+03
1.40e+03
1.35e+03
1.30e+03
1.25e+03
1.20e+03
1.15e+03
1.10e+03
1.05e+03
1.00e+03

Contours of Static Temperature (k)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.7: Contours of Temperature with No Radiation

4. Create an isosurface at y = 0.5, the horizontal line through the center of the box.
Surface −→Iso-Surface...

(a) Select Grid... and Y-Coordinate from the Surface of Constant drop-down lists.
(b) Click Compute to calculate the extents of the domain.
(c) Enter 0.5 for Iso-Values.
(d) Enter y=0.5 for New Surface Name.

5-20
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

(e) Click Create to create a surface at y = 0.5.


The new isosurface at y=0.5 will appear in the From Surface list.
(f) Close the Iso-Surface panel.

5. Create an XY plot of y velocity on the isosurface.


Plot −→XY Plot...

(a) Retain the default selection of Node Values in the Options group box.
If you prefer to display the cell values, disable the Node Values option. Note,
however, that you will need to ensure that whatever option you choose for Node
Values is used throughout the tutorial for displaying and saving XY plots. This
will enable you to correctly compare the XY plots for different radiation models
in a later step, as they will use identical options.
(b) Retain the default values of 1 for X and 0 for Y in the Plot Direction group
box.
With a Plot Direction vector of (1, 0), FLUENT will plot the selected variable
as a function of x. Since you are plotting the velocity profile on a cross-section
of constant y, the x direction is the one in which the velocity varies.
(c) Select Velocity... and Y Velocity from the Y Axis Function drop-down lists.
(d) Select y=0.5 from the Surfaces selection list.
(e) Click Plot to display the x-y plot in the graphics display window (Figure 5.8).


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-21
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

y=0.5

2.50e-04

2.00e-04

1.50e-04

1.00e-04

5.00e-05

Y 0.00e+00
Velocity
(m/s) -5.00e-05
-1.00e-04

-1.50e-04

-2.00e-04

-2.50e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position (m)

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.8: XY Plot of Centerline y Velocity for the Rosseland Model

The velocity profile reflects the rising plume at the hot right wall, and the
falling plume at the cold left wall. Compared to the case with no radiation,
the profile predicted by the Rosseland model exhibits thicker wall layers. As
discussed before, the expected profile for aL = 0.2 is similar to the case with
no radiation.
(f) Enable Write to File in the Options group box and save the plot data to a file.
(g) Click Write... to open the Select File dialog box.
(h) Enter rad ross.xy for XY File and click OK.
This will save the xy plot file named rad ross.xy to your working folder.
(i) Close the Solution XY Plot panel.

5-22
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

6. Compute the total wall heat flux on each lateral wall.


Report −→Fluxes...

(a) Select Total Heat Transfer Rate in the Options list.


(b) Select left-wall and right-wall from the Boundaries selection list.
(c) Click Compute.
The total wall heat transfer rate is reported for the hot and cold walls as ap-
proximately 7.43 × 105 W. The net heat flux on the lateral walls is a negligible
imbalance. This is reported in the panel as well as displayed in the console.
(d) Close the Flux Reports panel.

7. Save the case and data files (rad ross.cas and rad ross.dat).
File −→ Write −→Case & Data...

Thus far in this tutorial, you have learned how to set up a natural convection problem
using the Rosseland model to compute radiation. You have also learned to postprocess the
results. You will now enable the P-1 model, run a simulation, and compare the results to
the Rosseland model.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-23
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Step 7: P-1 Model Setup, Solution, and Postprocessing


You will now repeat Step 2 through Step 6 to define, solve, and postprocess a P-1
radiation model problem. The main steps are identical to the Rosseland model case.

1. Define the P-1 radiation model.


Define −→ Models −→Radiation...
(a) Select P-1 in the Model list and click OK.

2. Define the boundary conditions.


Define −→Boundary Conditions...
(a) Retain the default value of 1 for Internal Emissivity for all walls. Remember to
click the Thermal tab to view emissivity in the Wall boundary condition panel.
(b) Close the Wall and Boundary Conditions panels.

3. Set the solution parameters.


Solve −→ Controls −→Solution...
(a) Retain the default values of 0.3 for Pressure, 0.7 for Momentum, and 1.0 for
Energy in the Under-Relaxation Factors group box.
(b) Enter 1.0 for P1 in the Under-Relaxation Factors group box.
Scroll down to view the P1 factor. Note that the P1 factor appears in the
list because the P-1 model solves an additional radiation transport equation.
This problem is relatively easy to converge for the P-1 model since there is not
much coupling between the radiation and temperature equations at low optical
thicknesses. Consequently a high under-relaxation factor can be used for P-1.
(c) Click OK to set the parameters and close the Solution Controls panel.

4. Save the case file (rad p1.cas).


File −→ Write −→Case...

5. Continue the calculation by requesting another 200 iterations.


Solve −→Iterate...
The P-1 model reaches convergence after approximately 115 additional iterations.

6. Save the data file (rad p1.dat).


File −→ Write −→Data...

5-24
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

7. Display velocity vectors (Figure 5.9) of the P-1 model calculation.


Display −→Vectors...
Note: The following postprocessing steps do not include detailed instructions be-
cause the procedure is the same one that you followed for the Rosseland model
postprocessing. See Step 6: Postprocessing for the Rosseland Model
for details.

2.86e-04
2.72e-04
2.58e-04
2.43e-04
2.29e-04
2.15e-04
2.00e-04
1.86e-04
1.72e-04
1.58e-04
1.43e-04
1.29e-04
1.15e-04
1.00e-04
8.60e-05
7.17e-05
5.74e-05
4.31e-05
2.88e-05
1.45e-05
1.94e-07

Velocity Vectors Colored By Velocity Magnitude (m/s)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.9: Velocity Vectors for the P-1 Model


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-25
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

8. Plot the y velocity along the horizontal centerline y = 0.5 (Figure 5.10) and then
save the plot data to a file called rad p1.xy.
Plot −→XY Plot...
You may need to reselect Velocity... and Y Velocity in the Y Axis Function drop-down
lists. Also, remember to deselect the Write to File option so that you can access the
Plot button to generate the plot.

y=0.5

2.50e-04
2.00e-04
1.50e-04
1.00e-04
5.00e-05
0.00e+00
Y
Velocity -5.00e-05
(m/s) -1.00e-04
-1.50e-04
-2.00e-04
-2.50e-04
-3.00e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position (m)

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.10: XY Plot of Centerline y Velocity for the P-1 Model

9. Compute the total wall heat transfer rate.


Report −→Fluxes ...
The total heat transfer rate reported on the right wall is 8.47 × 105 W. The heat
imbalance at the lateral walls is negligible. You will see later that the Rosseland
and P-1 wall heat transfer rates are substantially different from those obtained by
the DTRM and the DO model.

Notice how different the velocity vectors and y-velocity profile are from those obtained
using the Rosseland model. The P-1 velocity profiles show a clear momentum boundary
layer along the hot and cold walls. These profiles are much closer to those obtained from
the non-radiating case (Figures 5.11 and 5.12). Though the P-1 model is not appropriate
for this optically thin limit, it yields the correct velocity profiles since the radiation source
in the energy equation, which is proportional to the absorption coefficient, is small. The
Rosseland model uses an effective conductivity to account for radiation, and yields the
wrong temperature field, which in turn results in an erroneous velocity field.

5-26
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

2.16e-04
2.05e-04
1.94e-04
1.83e-04
1.72e-04
1.62e-04
1.51e-04
1.40e-04
1.29e-04
1.19e-04
1.08e-04
9.70e-05
8.62e-05
7.55e-05
6.47e-05
5.39e-05
4.31e-05
3.24e-05
2.16e-05
1.08e-05
3.93e-08

Velocity Vectors Colored By Velocity Magnitude (m/s)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.11: Velocity Vectors with No Radiation

y=0.5

2.50e-04

2.00e-04

1.50e-04

1.00e-04

5.00e-05

Y 0.00e+00
Velocity
(m/s) -5.00e-05
-1.00e-04

-1.50e-04

-2.00e-04

-2.50e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position (m)

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.12: XY Plot of Centerline y Velocity with No Radiation


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-27
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Step 8: DTRM Setup, Solution, and Postprocessing


1. Define the DTRM and the ray tracing.
Define −→ Models −→Radiation...

(a) Select Discrete Transfer (DTRM) in the Model list.


The Radiation Model panel will expand to show additional inputs.
(b) Retain the default parameters.
(c) Click OK in the Radiation Model panel to open the DTRM Rays panel.

i. Retain the default settings for Clustering and Angular Discretization.


The number of Cells Per Volume Cluster and Faces Per Surface Cluster
control the total number of radiating surfaces and absorbing cells. For
a small 2D problem, the default number of 1 is acceptable. For a large
problem, however, you will want to increase these numbers to reduce the
ray tracing expense. The Theta Divisions and Phi Divisions control the
number of rays being created from each surface cluster. For most practical
problems, however, the default settings will suffice.
ii. Click OK to open the Select File dialog box.
See Section 13.3.5 of the User’s Guide for a more detailed description of
the ray tracing procedure.

5-28
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

iii. Enter rad dtrm.ray for the Ray File in the Select File dialog box.
iv. Click OK to write the ray file.
FLUENT will report on the status of the ray tracing in the console.

2. Set the parameters that control the solution.


Solve −→ Controls −→Solution...
(a) Retain the default solution values of 0.3 for Pressure, 0.7 for Momentum, and
1.0 for Energy in the Under-Relaxation Factors list.

3. Save the case file (rad dtrm.cas).


File −→ Write −→Case...

4. Continue the calculation by requesting another 100 iterations.


Solve −→Iterate...
The solution will converge after about 80 additional iterations.

5. Save the data file (rad dtrm.dat).


File −→ Write −→Data...

6. Display velocity vectors (Figure 5.13) of the DTRM calculation.


Display −→Vectors...
Note: The following postprocessing steps do not include detailed instructions be-
cause the procedure is the same one that you followed for the Rosseland model
postprocessing. See Step 6: Postprocessing for the Rosseland Model
for details.

7. Plot the y velocity along the horizontal centerline y = 0.5 (Figure 5.14), and save
the plot data to a file called rad dtrm.xy.
Plot −→XY Plot...
You may need to reselect Velocity... and Y Velocity from the Y Axis Function drop-
down lists. Also, remember to deselect the Write to File option so that you can
access the Plot button to generate the plot.

8. Compute the total wall heat transfer rate.


Report −→Fluxes ...
The total heat transfer rate reported on the right wall is 6.07×105 W. Note that this
is substantially lower than the values predicted by the Rosseland and P-1 models.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-29
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

2.88e-04
2.73e-04
2.59e-04
2.44e-04
2.30e-04
2.16e-04
2.01e-04
1.87e-04
1.73e-04
1.58e-04
1.44e-04
1.30e-04
1.15e-04
1.01e-04
8.64e-05
7.21e-05
5.77e-05
4.33e-05
2.90e-05
1.46e-05
2.41e-07

Velocity Vectors Colored By Velocity Magnitude (m/s)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.13: Velocity Vectors for the DTRM

y=0.5
2.50e-04
2.00e-04
1.50e-04
1.00e-04
5.00e-05
0.00e+00
Y
Velocity -5.00e-05
(m/s) -1.00e-04
-1.50e-04
-2.00e-04
-2.50e-04
-3.00e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position (m)

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.14: XY Plot of Centerline y Velocity for the DTRM

5-30
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Step 9: DO Model Setup, Solution, and Postprocessing


1. Define the DO model and the angular discretization.
Define −→ Models −→Radiation...

(a) Select Discrete Ordinates (DO) in the Model list.


The Radiation Model panel will expand to show additional inputs for the DO
model.
(b) Enter 1 for Flow Iterations per Radiation Iteration in the Iteration Parameters
group box.
This is a relatively simple flow problem and will converge easily. Consequently
it is useful to do the DO calculation every iteration of the flow solution. For
problems that are difficult to converge it is sometimes useful to allow the flow
solution to establish itself between radiation calculations. In such cases it may
be useful to set Flow Iterations Per Radiation Iteration to a higher value, such
as 10.
(c) Retain the default settings for Angular Discretization and Non-Gray Model.
The Number of Bands for the Non-Gray Model is zero because gray radiation,
only, is being modeled in this tutorial.
See Section 13.3.6 of the User’s Guide for details about the angular discretiza-
tion used by the DO model.
(d) Click OK.
Note: FLUENT will present an Information dialog box telling you that new
material properties have been added for the radiation model. The property
that is new for the DO model is the refractive index, which is relevant only


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-31
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

when you are modeling semi-transparent media. Since you are not mod-
eling semi-transparent media here you can simply click OK in the dialog
box to acknowledge this information.

2. Set the parameters that control the solution.


Solve −→ Controls −→Solution...
(a) Retain the default values of 0.3 for Pressure, 0.7 for Momentum, 1.0 for
Energy, and 1.0 for Discrete Ordinates in the Under-Relaxation Factors group
box.
Note that the Discrete Ordinates factor appears in the list because the DO model
solves an additional radiation transport equation.
(b) Retain the default setting of First Order Upwind in the Discrete Ordinates drop-
down list for Discretization.

3. Save the case file (rad do.cas).


File −→ Write −→Case...

4. Continue the calculation by requesting another 100 iterations.


Solve −→Iterate...
The solution will converge after approximately 25 additional iterations.

5. Save the data file (rad do.dat).


File −→ Write −→Data...

6. Display velocity vectors of the DO calculation (Figure 5.15).


Display −→Vectors...
Note: The following postprocessing steps do not include detailed instructions be-
cause the procedure is the same one that you followed for the Rosseland model
postprocessing. See Step 6: Postprocessing for the Rosseland Model
for details.

7. Plot the y velocity along the horizontal centerline y = 0.5m (Figure 5.16), and save
the plot data to a file called rad do.xy.
Plot −→XY Plot...
You may need to reselect Velocity... and Y Velocity in the Y Axis Function drop-down
lists. Also, remember to disable the Write to File option so that you can access the
Plot button to generate the plot.

5-32
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

2.89e-04
2.75e-04
2.60e-04
2.46e-04
2.31e-04
2.17e-04
2.03e-04
1.88e-04
1.74e-04
1.59e-04
1.45e-04
1.30e-04
1.16e-04
1.01e-04
8.69e-05
7.25e-05
5.80e-05
4.36e-05
2.91e-05
1.47e-05
2.23e-07

Velocity Vectors Colored By Velocity Magnitude (m/s)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.15: Velocity Vectors for the DO Model

y=0.5

3.00e-04

2.00e-04

1.00e-04

Y 0.00e+00
Velocity
(m/s)
-1.00e-04

-2.00e-04

-3.00e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position (m)

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.16: XY Plot of Centerline y Velocity for the DO Model


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-33
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

8. Compute the total wall heat transfer rate.


Report −→Fluxes ...
The total heat transfer rate reported on the right wall is 6.12 × 105 W. Note that
this is about 1.5% higher than that predicted by the DTRM. The DO and DTRM
values are comparable to each other, while the Rosseland and P-1 values are both
substantially different. The DTRM and DO models are valid across the range of
optical thickness, and the heat transfer rates computed using them are expected to
be closer to the correct heat transfer rate.

Step 10: Comparison of y-Velocity Plots


In this step, you will read the plot files you saved for all the solutions and compare them
in a single plot.

1. Read in all the XY plot files.


Plot −→File...

(a) Click Add... to open the Select File dialog box.


i. Select rad do.xy, rad dtrm.xy, rad p1.xy, and rad ross.xy from the Files list
in the Select File dialog box.
They will be added to the XY File(s) list. If you accidentally add an incor-
rect file, you can select it in this list and click Remove.
ii. Click OK in the Select File dialog box to load the 4 files.
The files will be listed in the Files list in the File XY Plot panel.
(b) Click Plot in the File XY Plot panel.

5-34
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Extra: You can click Curves... to open the Curves panel, where you can define
different styles for different plot curves. In Figure 5.17, different symbols
have been selected for each curve.
(c) Close the File XY Plot panel.
Extra: You can resize and move the legend box in the XY plot displayed in the
graphics window so that you can read the information inside it. To resize the
box, press any mouse button on a corner and drag the mouse to the desired
position. To move the legend box, press any mouse button anywhere else on
the box and drag it to the desired location.

Y Velocity
Y Velocity
Y Velocity (rad_dtrm.xy)
3.00e-04
Y Velocity (rad_p1.xy)
Y Velocity (rad_ross.xy)
2.00e-04

1.00e-04

Y 0.00e+00
Velocity
-1.00e-04

-2.00e-04

-3.00e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.17: Comparison of Computed y Velocities for aL = 0.2

Notice in Figure 5.17 that the velocity profiles for the P-1 model, DTRM, and DO model
are nearly identical even though the reported wall heat transfer rates are different. This
is because in an optically thin problem, the velocity field is essentially independent of the
radiation field, and all three models give a flow solution very close to the non-radiating
case. The Rosseland model gives substantially erroneous solutions for an optically thin
case.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-35
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Step 11: Comparison of Radiation Models for an Optically Thick Medium


In the previous steps you compared the results of four radiation models for an optically thin
(aL = 0.2) medium. It was found that as a result of the low optical thickness, the velocity
fields predicted by the P-1, DTRM, and DO models were very similar and close to that
obtained in the non-radiating case. The wall heat transfer rates for DO and DTRM were
very close in value, and substantially different from those obtained with the Rosseland
and P-1 models. In this step you will recalculate a solution (using each radiation model)
for an optically thick (aL = 5) medium. This is accomplished by increasing the value of
the absorption coefficient from 0.2 to 5. You will repeat the process outlined in the steps
that follow for each set of case and data files that you saved earlier in the tutorial.

1. Read in the case and data file saved earlier (e.g., rad ross.cas and
rad ross.dat).
File −→ Read −→Case & Data...

2. Define the new material property.


Define −→Materials...
(a) Enter 5 for the Absorption Coefficient in the Materials panel.
This will result in an optical thickness aL of 5, since L = 1.
(b) Click Change/Create and then close the panel.

3. Calculate the new solution until it converges.


Solve −→Iterate...
For the DTRM calculation you may need to click Iterate repeatedly until the radi-
ation field is updated. Since the number of Flow Iterations Per Radiation Iteration
in the Radiation Model panel is 10, it is possible that the radiation field will not be
updated for as many as 9 iterations, although FLUENT will report that the solution
is converged. If this happens, continue to click the Iterate button until the radiation
field is updated and the solution proceeds for multiple iterations.

4. Save the new case and data files using a different file name (e.g., rad ross5.cas and
rad ross5.dat).
File −→ Write −→Case & Data...

5. Compute the total wall heat transfer rate.


Report −→Fluxes...

6. Plot the y velocity along the horizontal centerline, and save the plot data to a file
(e.g., rad ross5.xy).
Plot −→XY Plot...

5-36
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

7. Compare the computed heat transfer rates for the four models by plotting the
y-velocity profiles in a single plot (Figure 5.18).
The wall heat transfer rates predicted by the four radiation models range from 3.50×
105 to 3.98 × 105 W.
Plot −→File...
Note: Click Delete in the File XY Plot panel to remove the old XY plot data files.

Y Velocity
Y Velocity
Y Velocity (rad_dtrm5.xy)
5.00e-04
Y Velocity (rad_p15.xy)
Y Velocity (rad_ross5.xy)
4.00e-04

3.00e-04

2.00e-04

1.00e-04

Y 0.00e+00
Velocity
-1.00e-04

-2.00e-04

-3.00e-04

-4.00e-04

-5.00e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.18: Comparison of Computed y Velocities for aL = 5

The XY plots of y velocity are nearly identical for the P-1 model, DO model, and
DTRM. The Rosseland model gives somewhat different velocities, but is still within
10% of the other results. The Rosseland and P-1 models are suitable for the opti-
cally thick limit; the DTRM and DO models are valid across the range of optical
thicknesses. Consequently, they yield similar answers at aL = 5. For many ap-
plications with large optical thicknesses, the Rosseland and P-1 models provide a
simple low-cost alternative.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-37
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Step 12: S2S Setup, Solution, and Postprocessing for a Non-Participating


Medium
In the previous steps you compared the results of four radiation models for optically thin
(aL = 0.2) and optically thick (aL = 5) media.
The Surface-to-Surface (S2S) radiation model can be used to account for the radiation ex-
change in an enclosure of gray-diffuse surfaces. The energy exchange between two surfaces
depends in part on their size, separation distance, and orientation. These parameters are
accounted for by a geometric function called a “view factor”.
The S2S model assumes that all surfaces are gray and diffuse. Thus according to the gray-
body model, if a certain amount of radiation is incident on a surface, then a fraction is
reflected, a fraction is absorbed, and a fraction is transmitted. The main assumption of
the S2S model is that any absorption, emission, or scattering of radiation by the medium
can be ignored. Therefore “surface-to-surface” radiation, only, needs to be considered for
analysis.
For most applications the surfaces in question are opaque to thermal radiation (in the
infrared spectrum), so the surfaces can be considered opaque. For gray, diffuse, and
opaque surfaces it is valid to assume that the emissivity is equal to the absorptivity and
that reflectivity is equal to 1 minus the emissivity.
When the S2S model is used, you also have the option to define a “partial enclosure”
which allows you to disable the view factor calculation for walls with negligible emis-
sion/absorption or walls that have uniform temperature. The main advantage of this
option is to speed up the view factor calculation and the radiosity calculation.
In this step you will calculate a solution for aL = 0 using the S2S radiation model without
partial enclosure. In the next step you will use the DTRM and DO models for aL = 0,
and compare the results of the three models. The Rosseland and P-1 models are not
considered here as they have been shown (earlier in the tutorial) to be inappropriate for
optically thin media. Later in the tutorial you will calculate a solution for S2S model
with partial enclosure and compare the results with the solution for S2S model for a
non-participating medium that is calculated here.

5-38
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

1. Define the S2S model and the view factor and cluster parameters.
Define −→ Models −→Radiation...

(a) Select Surface to Surface (S2S) in the Model list.


The Radiation Model panel will expand to show additional inputs for the S2S
model.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-39
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

(b) Click Set... for Parameters in the View Factors group box to open the View
Factor and Cluster Parameters panel.
You will define the view factor and cluster parameters.

i. Click OK to accept the default settings and close the View Factor and
Cluster Parameters panel.
The S2S radiation model is computationally very expensive when there are
a large number of radiating surfaces. The number of radiating surfaces is
reduced by clustering surfaces into surface “clusters”. The surface clus-
ters are made by starting from a face and adding its neighbors and their
neighbors until a specified number of faces per surface cluster is collected.
For a small 2D problem, the default value of 1 for Faces Per Surface Cluster
is acceptable. For a large problem you can increase this number to reduce
the memory requirement for the view factor file that is saved in a later
step. This may also lead to some reduction in the computational expense.
However, this is at the cost of some accuracy.
Using the Blocking option ensures that any additional surface that is block-
ing the view between two opposite surfaces is considered in the view factor
calculation. In this case there is no obstructing surface between the oppo-
site walls so selecting either the Blocking or the Nonblocking option will
produce the same result. The default setting for Smoothing is None which
is appropriate for small problems. The Least Square option is more accu-
rate, but also more computationally expensive.

5-40
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

See Section 13.3.12 of the User’s Guide for details about view factors and
clusters for the S2S model.
(c) Click Compute/Write... for Methods in the View Factors group box to open the
Select File dialog box and to compute the view factors.
You will specify a file name where the cluster and view factor parameters will
be stored.
This step is required if the problem is being solved for the first time, only. For
subsequent calculations you can read the view factor and cluster information
from an existing file (by clicking Read... instead of Compute/Write...).
i. Enter rad s2s.gz as the file name for S2S File and click OK in the Select
File dialog box.
Note: The size of the viewfactor file can be very large if not compressed.
It is highly recommended to compress the view factor file by providing
.gz or .Z extension after the name (i.e. rad s2s.gz or rad s2s.Z).
For small files, you can provide the .s2s file after the name.
FLUENT will print an informational message describing the progress of
the view factor calculation in the console.
(d) Click OK to close the Radiation Model panel.

2. Set the parameters that control the solution.


Solve −→ Controls −→Solution...
(a) Retain the default values of 0.3 for Pressure, 0.7 for Momentum, 1.0 for
Energy in the Under-Relaxation Factors list.

3. Save the case file (rad s2s.cas).


File −→ Write −→Case...

4. Continue the calculation by requesting another 200 iterations.


Solve −→Iterate...

5. Save the data file (rad s2s.dat).


File −→ Write −→Data...

6. Display velocity vectors of the S2S calculation (Figure 5.19).


Display −→Vectors...
Note: The following postprocessing steps do not include detailed instructions be-
cause the procedure is the same one that you followed for the Rosseland model
postprocessing. See Step 6: Postprocessing for the Rosseland Model if
you need more details.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-41
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

2.48e-04
2.35e-04
2.23e-04
2.11e-04
1.98e-04
1.86e-04
1.73e-04
1.61e-04
1.49e-04
1.36e-04
1.24e-04
1.12e-04
9.92e-05
8.69e-05
7.45e-05
6.21e-05
4.97e-05
3.74e-05
2.50e-05
1.26e-05
2.28e-07

Velocity Vectors Colored By Velocity Magnitude (m/s)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.19: Velocity Vectors for the S2S Model

7. Plot the y velocity along the horizontal centerline (Figure 5.20), and save the plot
data to a file called rad s2s.xy.
Plot −→XY Plot...
You may have to reselect Y Velocity from the Y Axis Function drop-down lists. Also,
remember to deselect the Write to File option to access the Plot button to generate
the plot.

y=0.5
2.50e-04

2.00e-04

1.50e-04

1.00e-04

5.00e-05

Y 0.00e+00
Velocity
(m/s) -5.00e-05
-1.00e-04

-1.50e-04

-2.00e-04

-2.50e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position (m)

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.20: XY Plot of Centerline y Velocity for the S2S Model

5-42
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

8. Compute the total wall heat transfer rate.


Report −→Fluxes ...
The total heat transfer rate on the right wall is 6.77 × 105 W.

Step 13: Comparison of Radiation Models for a Non-Participating Medium


In this step you will calculate a solution for the aL = 0 case using the DTRM and DO
models and then compare the results with the S2S results.

1. Read in the case and data files saved earlier for the DTRM and DO models (e.g.,
rad dtrm.cas and rad dtrm.dat).
File −→ Read −→Case & Data...

2. Define the new material property.


Define −→Materials...
(a) Enter 0 for the Absorption Coefficient.
This will result in an optical thickness aL of 0.
(b) Click Change/Create and then close the Materials panel.

3. Calculate the new solution until it converges.


Solve −→Iterate...
For the DTRM calculation you may need to click the Iterate button repeatedly until
the radiation field is updated. Since the number of Flow Iterations Per Radiation
Iteration in the Radiation Model panel is 10, it is possible that the radiation field
will not be updated for as many as 9 iterations, although FLUENT will report that
the solution is converged. If this happens, keep clicking the Iterate button until the
radiation field is updated and the solution proceeds for multiple iterations.

4. Save the new case and data files using a different file name (e.g., rad dtrm0.cas
and rad dtrm0.dat).
File −→ Write −→Case & Data...

5. Compute the total wall heat transfer rate.


Report −→Fluxes...

6. Plot the y velocity along the horizontal centerline, and save the plot data to a file
(e.g., rad dtrm0.xy)
Plot −→XY Plot...


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-43
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

7. Compare the computed heat transfer rates for the three models.
For the S2S model, the total heat transfer rate on the right wall was 6.77 × 105 W.
This is about 5% higher than that predicted by the DTRM and 1.5% higher than DO.
Although the S2S, DO, and DTRM values are comparable to each other, this problem
involves enclosure radiative transfer without participating media. Therefore, the
S2S model provides the most accurate solution.

8. Compare the y-velocity profiles in a single plot (Figure 5.21)


Plot −→File...
(a) Use the Delete button in the File XY Plot panel to remove the old XY plot
data files.
(b) Read in all the XY plot files you saved for the S2S, DTRM, and DO models.
(c) Click Plot.
(d) Close the File XY Plot panel.

Y Velocity
2.50e-04 Y Velocity
Y Velocity (rad_dtrm0.xy)
2.00e-04
Y Velocity (rad_do0.xy)
1.50e-04

1.00e-04

5.00e-05

Y 0.00e+00
Velocity
-5.00e-05

-1.00e-04

-1.50e-04

-2.00e-04

-2.50e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.21: Comparison of Computed y Velocities for aL = 0

In Figure 5.21, the velocity profiles for the DTRM, DO, and S2S models are almost
identical even though the wall heat transfer rates are different.

5-44
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Step 14: S2S Definition, Solution and Postprocessing with Partial Enclosure
As mentioned earlier, when the S2S model is used, you also have the option to define
a “partial enclosure”; i.e., you can disable the view factor calculation for walls with
negligible emission/absorption, or walls that have uniform temperature. Even though the
view factor will not be computed for these walls, they will still emit radiation at a fixed
temperature called the “partial enclosure temperature”. The main advantage of this is to
speed up the view factor and the radiosity calculation.
For this problem, specify the left wall boundary as the non-participating wall in S2S
radiation. Consequently, you need to specify the partial enclosure temperature for the wall
boundary that is not participating in S2S radiation. Note that if multiple wall boundaries
are not participating in S2S radiation and each has a different temperature, then the
partial enclosure option may not yield accurate results. This is because the same partial
enclosure temperature is specified for each of the non-participating walls.

1. Read in the case and data file saved earlier for the S2S model (rad s2s.cas and
rad s2s.dat).
File −→ Read −→Case & Data...

2. Set the partial enclosure parameters for the S2S model.


Define −→ Models −→Radiation...

(a) Enter 1000 for Temperature in the Partial Enclosure group box.
(b) Click OK to close the Radiation Model panel.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-45
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Previous radiation model setups for this problem specified the left wall temperature
as 1000 k. Therefore set the partial enclosure to this temperature.

3. Define the boundary conditions for the left-wall.


Define −→Boundary Conditions

(a) Click the Radiation tab and disable Participates in S2S Radiation in the S2S
Parameters group box.
(b) Click OK to close the Wall panel.
(c) Close the Boundary Conditions panel.

4. Compute the view factors for the S2S model.


Define −→ Models −→Radiation...
The view factor file will store the view factors for the radiating surfaces only. This
may help you control the size of the view factor file as well as the memory required to
store view factors in FLUENT. Furthermore, the time required to compute the view
factors will reduce as only the view factors for radiating surfaces will be calculated.
You should compute the view factors only when you have specified the boundaries
that will participate in the radiation model using the Boundary Conditions panel.
If you first compute the view factors and then make a change to the boundary
conditions, FLUENT will use the view factor file stored earlier for calculating a
solution, in which case, the changes that you made to the model will not be used for
the calculation. Therefore, you should recompute the view factors and save the case
file whenever you modify the number of objects that will participate in radiation.

5-46
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

(a) Click Compute/Write... under Methods to open the Select File dialog box.
You will specify a file name where the view factor parameters are stored.
i. Enter rad s2spe.gz as file name for S2S File and click OK.
(b) Click OK to close the Radiation Model panel.
FLUENT will print an informational message describing the progress of the
view factor calculation.

5. Set the parameters that control the solution.


Solve −→ Controls −→Solution...
(a) Retain the default values of 0.3 for Pressure, 0.7 for Momentum, and 1.0 for
Energy in the Under-Relaxation Factors list.

6. Save the case file (rad s2spe.cas).


File −→ Write −→Case...

7. Continue the calculation by requesting another 100 iterations.


Solve −→Iterate...
The solution will converge after approximately 80 additional iterations.

8. Save the data file (rad s2spe.dat).


File −→ Write −→Data...

9. Display velocity vectors of the S2S calculation (Figure 5.22).


Display −→Vectors...
Note: The following postprocessing steps do not include detailed instructions be-
cause the procedure is the same one that you followed for the Rosseland model
postprocessing. See Step 6: Postprocessing for the Rosseland Model if
you need more details.

10. Plot the y velocity along the horizontal centerline (Figure 5.23), and save the plot
data to a file called rad s2spe.xy.
Plot −→XY Plot...
You may have to reselect Y Velocity from the Y Axis Function drop-down lists. Also,
remember to deselect the Write to File option to access the Plot button to generate
the plot.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-47
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

2.47e-04
2.35e-04
2.22e-04
2.10e-04
1.98e-04
1.85e-04
1.73e-04
1.61e-04
1.48e-04
1.36e-04
1.24e-04
1.11e-04
9.90e-05
8.66e-05
7.43e-05
6.19e-05
4.96e-05
3.73e-05
2.49e-05
1.26e-05
2.27e-07

Velocity Vectors Colored By Velocity Magnitude (m/s)


FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.22: Velocity Vectors for the S2S Model with Partial Enclosure

y=0.5
2.50e-04

2.00e-04

1.50e-04

1.00e-04

5.00e-05

Y 0.00e+00
Velocity
(m/s) -5.00e-05
-1.00e-04

-1.50e-04

-2.00e-04

-2.50e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position (m)

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.23: XY Plot of Centerline y Velocity for the S2S Model with Partial Enclosure

5-48
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

11. Compute the total wall heat transfer rate.


Report −→Fluxes ...
The total heat transfer rate on the right wall is 6.78 × 105 W. Note that the total
heat transfer rate on the left wall is reported as zero because the report utility in the
current version of FLUENT does not account for the radiation heat transfer rate by
this wall, as it should.

Step 15: Comparison of S2S Models with and without Partial Enclosure
1. Compare the computed heat transfer rates for the two S2S models.

2. Compare the y-velocity profiles in a single plot (Figure 5.24).


Plot −→File...
(a) Use the Delete button in the File XY Plot panel to remove the old XY plot
data files.
(b) Read in all the XY plot files you saved for the S2S models.
(c) Click Plot.
(d) Close the File XY Plot panel.

Y Velocity
2.50e-04 Y Velocity
Y Velocity (rad_s2s.xy)
2.00e-04

1.50e-04

1.00e-04

5.00e-05

Y 0.00e+00
Velocity
-5.00e-05

-1.00e-04

-1.50e-04

-2.00e-04

-2.50e-04
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Position

Y Velocity
FLUENT 6.3 (2d, pbns, lam)

Figure 5.24: Comparison of Computed y Velocities for S2S models

In Figure 5.24, the velocity profiles for the S2S model without partial enclosure and the
S2S model with partial enclosure are almost identical.


c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006 5-49
Modeling Radiation and Natural Convection

Summary
In this tutorial you studied combined natural convection and radiation in a square box
and compared the performance of four radiation models in FLUENT for optically thin
and optically thick cases, and the performance of three radiation models for a non-
participating medium.

• For the optically thin case, the Rosseland and P-1 models are not appropriate and
the DTRM and DO model are applicable and yield similar results.

• In the optically thick limit, all four models are appropriate and yield similar results.
In this limit, the less computationally-expensive Rosseland and P-1 models may be
adequate for many engineering applications.

• The S2S radiation model is appropriate for modeling the enclosure radiative transfer
without participating media whereas the methods for participating radiation may
not always be efficient.

See Section 13.3 of the User’s Guide for more information about the applicability of the
different radiation models.

Further Improvements
This tutorial guides you through the steps to reach an initial solution. You may be able
to obtain a more accurate solution by using an appropriate higher-order discretization
scheme and by adapting the grid. Grid adaption can also ensure that the solution is
independent of the grid. These steps are demonstrated in Tutorial 1.

5-50
c Fluent Inc. September 21, 2006

You might also like