Heat exchange, emissivity and reflectance

This approach is commonly used in heat exchange problems in furnaces and can be found in Incropera's book. In summary, the Kirchhoff Law is applied in non-equilibrium situations to approximate the absorptivity of the wall in heat exchange problems in furnaces.
  • #1
Carlos de Meo
23
2
Hi Guys
I´m studying the heat exchange problem in furnaces and, to begin with, i started with Incropera´s book.
One thing is actually driving me crazy
On the last part of this exercise´s solution (part 3), the physical principle involved is not very clear to me. To calculate the absorptivity of the wall, it´s assumed that emissivity = absorptivity. But, as far as i know, this is the famous Kirchhoff Law and it´s only valid when the system reaches thermal equilibrium, which is clearly not the case here. Can someone explain me what is going on?
exc incropera 1.png

exc incropera.png
 
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  • #2
The Kirchhoff Law is a general law that states that the emissivity of an object is equal to its absorptivity. This law is valid in thermal equilibrium, but it can also be used to approximate the behavior of materials in non-equilibrium situations. In this case, the wall's absorptivity is approximated by assuming that it has the same emissivity as its absorptivity. This simplification allows us to calculate the absorptivity of the wall without having to measure it directly.
 

What is heat exchange?

Heat exchange is the transfer of thermal energy between two objects or systems that are at different temperatures. This transfer can occur through conduction, convection, or radiation.

What is emissivity?

Emissivity is a measure of how well an object emits thermal radiation compared to a perfect blackbody at the same temperature. It is a unitless value between 0 and 1, with higher values indicating a higher ability to emit radiation.

What factors affect emissivity?

Emissivity is affected by the material composition, surface finish, and temperature of an object. Objects with rougher surfaces and higher temperatures tend to have higher emissivity values.

How does reflectance impact heat exchange?

Reflectance is the ability of an object to reflect thermal radiation. Objects with high reflectance will reflect more thermal energy and have lower heat exchange rates compared to objects with low reflectance.

Why is understanding heat exchange, emissivity, and reflectance important in science?

Heat exchange, emissivity, and reflectance play important roles in various scientific fields, such as thermodynamics, materials science, and atmospheric science. Understanding these concepts allows scientists to accurately model and predict heat transfer and energy exchange in different systems and environments.

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