Using geometrical-optics functions for calculating radiant heat transfer in hollow systems

Results of a computational experiment are presented for a system of finite screens. By using geometrical-optics functions, a system of several hundred integral equations is reduced to a tridiagonal system of linear equations. This system is further reduced to a second-order ordinary differential equation having a simple analytical solution. It is found that as the number of screens increases, heat losses in the system of finite screens approach a certain nonzero limit which is determined by geometrical-optics functions and by the relative distance between the screens.