4.

3 View Factors in Radiation

for Various Geometries

4.4 Radiation Shield

 The View Factor
Radiation heat
transfer between
surfaces depends on
the orientation of the
surface relative to each
other and this
dependence on
orientation is
accounted for by
The View Factor

“Shape factor, configuration factor, angle factor”

• The view factor from surface i to j is denoted
by Fij

Fij – the fraction of the radiation leaving

surface i that strikes surface j directly
The view factor from
a surface to itself is 0
for plane or convex
surfaces and nonzero
for concave surfaces
• The value of VF ranges between 0 and 1

In a geometry that
consist of 2 spheres
the view factor
F12=1 since the
entire radiation
leaving the surface
of smaller sphere
will
be intercepted by
larger sphere
• Conclusion…

The view factor has proven to be very useful

in radiation analysis because it allows us to
express the fraction of radiation leaving the
surface that strikes another surface in terms
of the orientation of these two surfaces
relative to each other
 Try

Two very large parallel plates are

maintained at uniform temperature T1 =
800 K and T2 = 500 K and have
emissivities ε1 = 0.2 and ε2 = 0.7
respectively as shown in figure below.
Determine the net radiation of heat
transfer between the two surfaces per unit
surface area of the plates.
(3625 W/m2)
 Radiation Shields
• Used in cryogenic and space applications
• To reduce the rate of radiation heat
transfer by placing additional resistances
in the path of radiation heat flow
• The lower the emissivity (high reflective) of
the shield, the higher the resistance
Q12 , no.shield 

A T1  T2
4 4

1 1
 1
1  2
 E b1  E b 2
Q12one.shield 
1  1 1 1   3,1 1   3, 2 1 1  2
    
A1 1 A1F12 A3 3,1 A3 3, 2 A3 F32 A2 2

Since, F13 and F23=1 and A1=A2=A3 for infinite

parallel plate
 Thus, the equation before reduces to:

Q12one.shield 
A T1  T2  4 4

1 1   1 1 
   1     1
 
  1  2    3,1  3, 2 

If multiple radiation shields, N are used:

Q12 N  shields 

A T1  T2
4 4

1 1   1 1   1 1 
   1     1  ...     1
   
  1  2    3,1  3, 2   N ,1  N , 2 
If the emissivities to all surfaces are equal,

Q12 N  shields 

A T1  T2
4 4

1
Q12, no  shields
1 1  N 1
 N  1    1
 1  2 

1 shield reduces Qrad to ½

9 shields reduce Qrad to 1/10
19 shields reduce Qrad by 1/20
Ans: 806 W/m2
The end..