3 A . K . Oppenheim and J. T . Bevans, " G e o m e t r i c F a c t o r s f o r
1 - J ) = 2 ( » / « ) " / ( n + 2)
Radiation I l e a t Transfer T h r o u g h an A b s o r b i n g M e d i u m in C a r -
tesian C o - o r d i n a t e s , " J O U R N A L OF H E A T T R A N S F E R , T R A N S .
Series C, vol. 82, I960, pp. 3 6 0 - 3 6 8 .
4 W . M . Elsasser, " H e a t T r a n s f e r b y I n f r a r e d Radiation in the
A t m o s p h e r e , " H a r v a r d M e t e o r Studies N o . 0, H a r v a r d University
Blue Hill M e t e o r Obs., 107, 1942.
5 J. N . H o w a r d , D . L . B u r c h , and D . Williams, " N e a r - I n f r a r e d
Transmission T h r o u g h Synthetic A t m o s p h e r e s , " Journal of the
Optical Society of America, v o l . 46, 1956, pp. 186, 237, 242, 334, 542.
6 D . I f . E d w a r d s , P h D thesis, D e p a r t m e n t of M e c h a n i c a l E n -
gineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1958.
7 D . I f . E d w a r d s , " A b s o r p t i o n of Infrared B a u d s of C a r b o n
D i o x i d e at Elevated Pressures and T e m p e r a t u r e s , " Journal of the
Optical Society of Avierica, vol. 50, 1960, pp. 617-666.
8 J. T . Bevans, " C o r r e l a t i o n of the T o t a l E m i s s i v i t y of C a r b o n
D i o x i d e and W a t e r V a p o r , " A S M E P a p e r N o . 6 0 — W A - 1 7 5 .
9 D . I f . E d w a r d s , " R a d i a t i o n Interchange in a N o n g r a y E n -
closure Containing an Isothermal C a r b o n - D i o x i d e - N i t r o g e n G a s
Mixture," J O U R N A L OF I I E A T TRANSFER, TRANS. A S M E ,
v o l . 84, 1962, p p . 1 - 1 1 .
10 D . C . H a m i l t o n and W . R, M o r g a n , " R a d i a n t - I n t e r c h a n g e
Configuration F a c t o r s , " N a t i o n a l A d v i s o r y C o m m i t t e e for A e r o -
nautics, Technical N o t e 2836, 1952.
DISCUSSION
D. K . Edwards2
The author is to be congratulated for having presented infor-
mation which is needed by the engineer to make accurate cal-
culations of radiant transfer between walls of an enclosure
containing a radiating gas. Two points which may be of interest
to the reader of this paper may be elaborated. The first concerns
band absorption laws, and the second is the use of such "laws"
to obtain more accurate estimates of geometric absorption factors
and equivalent gas transmissivities.
Band absorption laws reviewed by the author are of two
types—power functions and logarithmic functions. Both have
theoretical justification as asymptotic forms under certain
circumstances, but are usually used to correlate data in an
empirical fashion as noted by the author. While a particular
form may correlate absorption data over several decades in mass
path length, no one form suffices over the entire range. This
fact bears upon the discussion below concerning the accuracy of
substituting geometric mean beam lengths for mean beam lengths
in engineering calculations.
Although pressure dependency of an absorption law does not
affect the question of beam lengths, as does path length de-
pendency, the point deserves some attention, as the author has
indicated particular types of dependency in his equations (2),
(3), (4), and (5). Although ( P + p) and ( P + p + 0.5p 2 ) 3 were
used by the author's references [5, 6, 7], Coggeshall and Saier
[11],4 and more recently Burch et al. [12] have indicated ( P +
0.3p) and ( P + 5p) should be used for C 0 2 and IPO, respectively.
Part of the discrepancy may be explained by the fact that equa-
tions of the form of equation (2), (3), or (4) were "forced"
through data which do not quite lie on the asymptote which is
truly of the form of equations (2), (3), or (4). A more accurate
form for band absorption correlations has been obtained, and the
pressure dependency yields good correlations of data [13,14].
Regarding the use of band absorption laws to obtain mean
beam lengths from geometric mean beam lengths, simple closed-
form relations may be derived for the sphere in addition to
those already presented for the parallel plane enclosure in the
author's reference [9], From (8) and (IS) it follows that
«i-2 = 2 J'q a(2Ri])r]dT]
If equations (G), (9), and (10) are introduced there results for the
ratios
1 Assistant P r o f , of Engineering, University of Calif., L o s Angeles,
Calif. Assoc. M e m . A S M E .
8 Not (P + 2p + 0.5p-) as given in the a u t h o r ' s equation (5).
4 N u m b e r s 11 t o 14 in b r a c k e t s designate Additional References at
the end of discussion.
80 / FEBRUARY 1964
Copyright © 1964 by ASME
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a 1 - 2 ( n - 2 ) / a 1 - 2 ( ?
ASME,
W n - 2 = [2(7,)•/(» + 2)]1/"
The maximum error in the absorptance occurs for n = 0.55 and
is onty 2 percent, as in a numerical example chosen by the author.
Similarly, if equation (4) is employed there results
W n - = ( 3 A ) e ~ ' A = 1-16
The previous results for the infinite parallel plane enclosure
were for the power function
51-2(n-2)/a1-2(r1-2) = 21 ~ " / ( 2 - n)
W n - 2 = [2/(2 - n)]V*/2
Again the maximum error can be found to be 6 percent, as in a
Series C,
numerical example chosen l:y the author. For the logarithmic
function
,V 2 /n-2 = e 1 / ! / 2 = 0.825
The numerical examples presented by the author thus represent
limiting cases, and the conclusion of the author that the geo-
metric mean beam length is an excellent engineering approxima-
tion to the mean beam length is well-drawn for the two geometries.
It was shown previously in the author's reference [9] that in
addition to obtaining mean beam lengths it was necessary to
select band limits or a gas transmissivity when computing net
transfer to the gas. The approximate rule given there for a
particular parallel plane enclosure was to employ a transmissivity
r = n where n appears in the author's equation (6) or t = c/a
where c and a appear in the author's equation (4) (where the
function is the natural logarithm). A similar rule may be derived
for the spherical enclosure used bj' the author as a second simple
geometry.
For a low reflectivity wall the heat flux q divided by the differ-
ence in black body emissive powers between the wall and gas
Eba - Eb„ is
CX6
q/{Ebw - Eb0) = — =« aejl + Pur)
1 - Pu?
where a is the gas absorptivity and t is an equivalent gas trans-
missivity representing one minus the mean band absorption
divided by the mean band width. However, interreflection
tracing gives to the degree of approximation above, for a power
function absorption law,
q/(Ebw - EJ = aej 1 + p„(2» - 1)]
The mean transmissivity to be employed for a low reflecting
wall is thus T = 2" — 1. A similar consideration yields
r = c log 2/a for a logarithmic absorption law.
Additional References
11 N . D . Coggeshall and E . F . Saier, "Pressure B r o a d e n i n g in the
Infrared and Optical Collision D i a m e t e r s , " Journal Chemical
Physics, vol. 15, 1947, p. 65.
12 D . E . Burch, E . B . Singleton, W . L . F r a n c e , and D . Williams,
" I n f r a r e d A b s o r p t i o n b y M i n o r A t m o s p h e r i c C o n s t i t u e n t s , " Final
R e p o r t , C o n t r a c t A F i 9 ( 6 0 4 ) - 2 6 3 3 , Ohio S t a t e University, 1960.
See also Appl. Optics, vol. 1, 1962, pp. 359, 473, 587.
13 W . A . M e n a r d , " B a n d and Line Structure M o d e l s f o r Correla-
tion of Gaseous R a d i a t i o n , " M S thesis, University of California,
L o s Angeles, Calif., January, 1963.
14 D . I f . Edwards, " S t u d i e s of Infared R a d i a t i o n in Gases,"
Final R e p o r t , N a t i o n a l Science F o u n d a t i o n G r a n t G 11968, U n i v e r -
sity of California, D e p a r t m e n t of Engineering, L o s Angeles, 1962.
Author's Closure
The Author wishes to thank Dr. D . K . Edwards for the points
raised in his discussion of the paper. The clarification and
amplification of the sections on gas absorption laws and on
maximum errora introduced by the use of geometric mean beam
length is very helpful. The statements on selection of band
limits are also very useful.
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