Combined Radiation and Convection in an Asymmetrically Heated Parallel Plate Flow Channel

An analysis is made of the effects of radiation exchanges upon the wall-temperature distributions in a parallel plate channel through which a gas transparent to thermal radiation is flowing. A uniform heat flux is applied at one wall, while the other wall has no imposed heat flux and only receives energy by radiation or convection from the heated wall. This situation approximates that found in the outer passage of a nuclear reactor fuel element where one channel wall is a fuel plate while the other is the support structure. Axial heat conduction is neglected in the channel walls and the gas, and constant fluid properties are assumed. The effects of a number of independent parameters, such as Stanton number, inlet gas temperature, and length-spacing ratio, are illustrated.