The Weighted-Sum-of-Gray-Gases Model for Arbitrary Solution Methods in Radiative Transfer

The weighted-sum-of-gray-gases approach for radiative transfer in nongray participating media, first developed by Hottel in the context of the zonal method, has been shown to be applicable to the general radiative equation of transfer. Within the limits of the weighted-sum-of-gray-gases model (nonscattering media within a black-walled enclosure), any nongray radiation problem can be solved by any desired solution method after replacing the medium by an equivalent small number of gray media with constant absorption coefficients. Some examples are presented for isothermal media and media at radiative equilibrium, using the exact integral equations as well as the popular P-I approximation for the equivalent gray media solutions. The results demonstrate the equivalency of the method with the quadrature of spectral results, as well as the tremendous computer times savings (by a minimum of 95 percent) that are achieved.