Radiation Heat Transfer Modeling in Electrorheological Fluids: Treatment as an Absorbing Medium

Radiation heat transfer control utilizing the unique properties of electrorheological (ER) fluids has recently been the subject of considerable interest as an innovative new area of research. While much work has been done to demonstrate the concept and show the potential for radiation transmittance control, little has been done to specifically identify the fundamental radiation transport mechanism involved. This paper identifies particle absorption as the dominant mode for attenuation of radiant energy from the range of 500 nm to 800 nm incident upon an ER fluid made of micron sized zeolite particles. Furthermore, appropriate models are developed based on absorption theory to predict radiation heat transfer through a composite window featuring a layer of ER fluid. The levels of extinction predicted by these models are compared to data obtained by experimental measurement, with excellent agreement shown.