Solar Thermal Loading for an Aircraft Cabin

[greydient]

I have been asked to estimate the thermal load (in Watts) of a small, commercial aircraft (ie, King Air B300, B350) sitting on a tarmac on a hot day due to solar irradiance. The solar irradiance specified is 1120 W/m^2, the total surface area of the fuselage is about 52.93 m^2, and the emissivity of the paint has been estimated as anywhere from 0.47 to 0.97. How do I get Watts? I've calculated the following but it seems too high:

(1120)*(52.93/2)*.47 = 13,931 Watts...isn't this way too high?

 

[Navin A S]

No, that is not too high. The calculation that you have made is correct and it is the expected amount of thermal load (in watts) that the aircraft will experience due to solar irradiance on a hot day. The amount of energy absorbed by the aircraft will depend on the emissivity of the paint, which can range from 0.47 to 0.97, with a higher emissivity resulting in a higher thermal load.