Discontinuous finite element method for combined radiation-conduction heat transfer in participating media

Abstract A discontinuous finite element method (DFEM) is extended to combined radiation-conduction heat transfer in gray and isotropically scattering media. The computational domain is discretized into finite elements and the shape functions are constructed on each discrete element. The forced inner-boundary continuity in the continuous finite element method (FEM) is released and the DFEM elements are connected by a simulated numerical flux across the inner-element boundaries, this makes the DFEM numerical stable and flexible in dealing with irregular geometry with curve boundaries. The accuracy of the DFEM algorithm for combined heat transfer is verified by comparing the DFEM results with other benchmark solutions. Combined heat transfer in two-dimensional media with irregular geometries is further solved by using the DFEM. Results show that the DFEM demands little on unstructured mesh quality and is highly accurate for solving coupled radiation-conduction heat transfer in participating medium with complex configurations.