GENERAL MODEL OF RADIATIVE AND CONVECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER IN BUILDINGS: PART I: ALGEBRAIC MODEL OF RADIATIVE HEAT TRANSFER

Radiative heat transfer is the most effective mechanism of energy transport inside buildings. One of the methods capable of computing the radiative heat transport is based on the system of algebraic equations. The algebraic method has been initially developed by mechanical engineers for a wide range of thermal engineering problems. The first part of the present serial paper describes the basic features of the algebraic model and illustrates its applicability in the field of building physics. The computations of radiative heat transfer both in building enclosures and also in open building envelopes are discussed and their differences explained. The present paper serves as a preparation stage for the development of a more general model evaluating heat losses of buildings. The general model comprises both the radiative and convective heat transfers and is presented in the second part of this serial contribution.