Customer Reviews

Radiative Heat Transfer, Second Edition

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The book discusses radiation exchange topics, in some detail.
It does not discuss the solution of practical radiation heat transfer problems.

Examples in the book emphasize reflection, absorption, emission, and scattering,
in the various forms that they might occur (as in gases, liquids, and from surfaces).
The discussion includes F-factors, and various methods for deriving them.
The majority of examples involve parallel planes, or the use of "enclosures,"
typically with a "participating medium" in between the surfaces.

The book shows techniques for deriving expressions for gray behavior and for
various forms of non-gray behavior, including general spectral behavior.
The techniques are spread throughout the book, in different chapters.
The reader must pay very close attention to the "enclosure" context applicable
in each specific chapter.

Temperature change in a system, due to the effect of energy transfer, and
the thee-dimensional temperature field resulting from such energy transfer,
is not the main topic in this book. The classic conservation of energy equation
involving system change via thermal radiation, convection, and conduction
is mentioned a few times [26,282,680]. For practical applications, the author
refers the reader to "applications ... reported in the literature" [680].
A few examples show how to derive expressions involving heat flux or
heat flow rate explicitly [such as 164,166,171,177,213,218-219,282].

Many example cases are distinctive for the detail in mathematical exposition,
accompanied by numerous supporting references.
However, the utility sometimes seems to be disconnected from the real world.
For instance, a large number of examples involve parallel planes, or "black" surfaces.
For instance, the non-dimensionalized graphs of convective heat transfer coefficient,
and flow over the flat plate [698,699], while properly constructed mathematically,
are not representative of professional heat transfer practice in general.
For instance, the classic Hollands V-corrugated surface is discussed [107] for reflective
surfaces, followed by a broad-based discussion for "apparent" absorptance and emittance [215]
on the V-corrugated surface [213]. In the example [214], the author discusses apparent emissivity
due to the geometry, which is indeed correct, but surprisingly, he does not discuss the
seminal tradeoff between the "flat black" surface and the "selective surface," as it
occurs in the V-corrugated case, in particular.

The author does not seem to understand why heat transfer engineers must, in practice,
employ certain analytical methods in a real job environment [276 and 277].

The terms "of course" and "obviously" occur too many times in the book.

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Radiative Heat Transfer by Michael F. Modest is a college-level mechanical and chemical engineering textbook, specifically written and intended for advanced students already familiar with basic calculus. Individual chapters address radiative exchange between a variety of surfaces; equations, functions, and methodologies; the influence of conduction and convention, and much, much more. An advanced resource and an excellent text or supplement to engineering education, Radiative Heat Transfer is especially commended to students of Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering.

Product was exactly as stated. Edition and quality were excellent. Prompt shipping as well. Thanks again.