Learning Forum

[Quantumfreak]

 

I’m simulating the radiation effects from the sun and the background radiation of interstellar space on a plate that will be orbiting around a model of the earth via macro. The assembly is a hollow cube with a very very small thickness and a very very high thermal conductivity, I have a circular plate with a very very small ring around it to act as a insulator for the circular plate as it will be radiating out the temperature of the sun. View factor calculations were used in making the assembly as the dimensions were found that way. Using view factor calculations, I assumed the radius of the sun plate to be 1 m. With a view from the sun to the earth, the view factor was already found. I found the length from the sun to the earth with the reduced scale to be almost exactly 215 m. I replaced the earth with two sets of plates. I can do this because the view factor is still preserved. I put radiation boundary conditions on the inside of the cube and assumed black body. I’m trying to get the temperature of the plates in this environment. I’m running into an error where: A thermal enclosure has not been assigned the same ambient temperature value in all surface to surface radiation objects using it. Temperature values from the first such object will be used in the solution. I didn’t use the “To Ambient” correlation as it will either give me the temperature of the sun or the temperature of the walls. As of right now, the simulated data is over 200 K more than expected in hand calculations. I’ve tried using enclosures but my mentor insisted I must have everything within the same enclosure and have the radiation effects of the sun and wall be taken into account for the temperature solutions. Also I put a temperature boundary condition on the outside of the cube to make it a self contained environment. I made the plates out of Aluminum 5052 alloy, the walls and sun plate a very very high thermal conductivity. And made the mesh Mechanical. The dimensions of the box are 430x430x430 m. I think after this error is fixed I will get the data I’m looking for. I’ve redone the dimensioning work to make sure the math wasn’t right to begin with. Any assistance will be appreciated. Thanks!