IMPLICIT SOLUTION SCHEME TO IMPROVE CONVERGENCE RATE IN RADIATIVE-TRANSFER PROBLEMS

When the radiation transfer equation is solved to obtain radiant heat fluxes in an enclosure, convergence to a solution becomes slow as the medium becomes more strongly participating. This article identifies the cause of slow convergence and develops an implicit solution method that greatly enhances the convergence rate and reduces the solution cost. The solution procedure is demonstrated using the finite-volume method, but it should apply to other methods as well.