How does Radiance change with a parabolic reflector?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the impact of a parabolic reflector on the radiance and radiant intensity of a heating coil with a specified output of 2 W/cm²/sr. When 100 coils are arranged, the total radiant intensity reaches 200 W/sr. The introduction of a parabolic reflector modifies the effective solid angle and projected area, leading to a narrower beam pattern while maintaining the total power output. Key equations such as I = L * A and P = I * Ω are utilized to analyze the relationship between intensity, area, and solid angle, confirming that the projected aperture area of the reflector is crucial for calculating the resultant intensity.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of radiative heat transfer principles
  • Familiarity with the concepts of radiance and radiant intensity
  • Knowledge of geometric optics, specifically parabolic reflectors
  • Basic proficiency in mathematical equations related to intensity and solid angles
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore the principles of parabolic reflector design and its applications in thermal systems
  • Study the mathematical derivation of intensity and solid angle relationships in radiative heat transfer
  • Investigate the differences in radiant intensity between broad-spectrum sources and laser beams
  • Learn about the effects of reflector materials on reflectivity and overall efficiency in thermal applications
USEFUL FOR

Engineers, physicists, and researchers involved in thermal management, optical engineering, and radiative heat transfer will benefit from this discussion. It provides insights into optimizing radiant intensity using reflectors in various applications.

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Lets say I have a coil that is 1cmx1cm in area that gets heat up. I am told that I get 2W/cm^2/sr output. So if I had 100 of them in an array, the total radiant intensity would be (2W/cm^2/sr x 100 x 1 sqcm =) 200W/sr.

Now, let's say I add a parabolic reflector around each coil. How would I estimate the increase in radiance and radiant intensity (in the direction of the reflector? Do I now use the aperture area of each reflector instead of the area of the coil? Do I multiply by 2pi since now I can able to see the radiance from the back of the coil? This is where I am getting confused.
 
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The intensity(watts/sr) ## I=L*A ## where ## L ## is the radiance and ## A ## is the area of the source or reflector (i.e. illuminated/projected area) assuming 100% reflector reflectivity. The total power ## P ## will be the same (approximately) with reflector as without the reflector. The bare source will have a solid angle of as much as ## 4\pi ## steradians depending upon the intensity pattern that it has. (If it is spherical, it would radiate equally in all directions). The parabolic reflector will have a greatly reduced effective solid angle of beam coverage. Ideally (with 100% reflectivity and no light returning to the source from the reflector), power ## P=I*\Omega ## (where ## \Omega ## is the effective solid angle of the radiated pattern) will be the same for the bare source as for the source plus reflector. The radiance ## L ## is a constant in all of these calculations, so that in the case of conserved power ## P ##, one has ## A_1 * \Omega_1=A_2 * \Omega_2 ## where the subscript "1" is the bare source and subscript "2" is the source plus reflector. The parabolic reflector will make a narrow pattern( effective solid angle ## \Omega_2 ##), but the intensity normally would not be constant throughout the region of illumination. The last equation allows you to get a quick estimate of the size of the beam pattern (in steradians) that a reflector will provide. One can also write ## I_1*\Omega_1=I_2*\Omega_2 ## as a useful equation to see the tradeoff between intensity that the reflector generates versus the size of the beam pattern (solid angle). A larger reflector will give a higher intensity, but will necessarily generate a narrower beam.
 
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So if I understand correctly, the area represents the projected aperture area?
So in my example, I said I have a coil that is 1cmx1cm in area. The coil radiates 2 W/cm^2/sr. Let's assume spherically.
With no reflector, the radiant intensity would be 2 W/sr?
If I have a 10 sqcm (100% reflective) reflector, the radiant intensity would be 20 W/sr?
If I have a 100 sqcm (100% reflective) reflector, the radiant intensity would be 200 W/sr?

Now how would I compare this with a very narrow beam, like from a laser? That is usually given in W. I am usually given an approx beam pattern where I can estimate the divergence angle. Based on that I can estimate a solid angle. However then the radiant intensity is an extremely high number since the angle is so small.
 

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