Modeling the role of microstructural parameters in radiative heat transfer through disordered fibrous media

A Monte Carlo simulation of radiative heat through fibrous media: Effects of boundary conditions and microstructural parameters

“…The results obtained from the current 2-D simulations are in good general agreement with those obtained from our more sophisticated 3-D numerical simulations [19]. In particular, it was found that heat flux through a fibrous medium decreases by increasing the SVF, when fiber diameter is kept constant.…”

“…We have previously conducted similar simulations in 3-D domains with disordered fiber arrangements to show that transmittance decreases by decreasing the fiber diameter when SVF and thickness are kept constant [19]. When the thickness and SVF are kept constant, decreasing the fiber diameter leads to an increase in the number of fibers, which in turn, leads to an increase in the specific surface area of the medium (see [19] for more information). In the 2-D simulations reported here, number of fibers is kept constant, while the thickness where allowed to change.…”

“…There are also a few studies in which similar numerical techniques have been used to study radiation in fibrous insulation materials [16e19]. This includes our previous work, in which MCRT technique was used to simulate the flow of radiative heat through virtual 3-D geometries resembling the microstructure of a disordered fibrous medium [19]. In MCRT, energy bundles are emitted from the surface of a heat source (or the fibers), and their trajectories are tracked through the simulation domain.…”

“…Note that radiative heat transfer is generally a 3-D phenomenon, and the 2-D assumption considered in the current paper is a simplification. Even with these limitations, our technique can still serve as an approximate method for designing the microstructure of new materials to meet specific thermal performance goals [19].…”

A simple simulation method for designing fibrous insulation materials

“…The study presented here completes the previous studies by the authors, in which an inexpensive Monte Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT) algorithm for simulating radiative heat transfer through fibrous media have been developed [14,15]. Such a simulation methodology is valuable as it allows one to isolate the effect of each individual parameter and study its influence on the performance of the whole media (i.e., the fibrous structure and the interstitial fluid).…”