EMPIRICAL-EVALUATION OF AN IMPORTANT APPROXIMATION FOR COMBINED-MODE HEAT-TRANSFER IN A PARTICIPATING MEDIUM USING THE FINITE-ELEMENT METHOD

An approximation common to many finite-element formulations for combin ed-mode heat transport is investigated. Although the approximation has been employed in the past, no discussion has been provided in the ope n literature regarding the implications of the approximation for solut ion accuracy. Two combined-mode problems involving conductive, convect ive, and radiative heat transfer modes in one and two dimensions are s olved using two finite-element formulations. The first formulation emp loys a traditional Galerkin method while the second employs the approx imation considered by this work. Results for the two benchmark problem s are compared for accuracy and speed, and recommendations are made.