Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer 73 (2002) 361–373 www.elsevier.com/locate/jqsrt A local-spectrum correlated model for radiative transfer in non-uniform gas media Vladimir P. Solovjov, Brent W. Webb * Department of Mechanical Engineering, 435 CTB, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA Abstract A new local-spectrum correlated model is developed for the solution of the radiative transfer equation (RTE) in non-uniform gas media at high temperature. The spectral integration of the RTE is performed with the help of a new gas absorption spectrum distribution function termed the cumulative wavenumber. The new approach features local-spectrum correlation, rather than the global-spectrum correlation used traditionally. A local correction factor introduced to account for spatial variations in species concentrations and gas temperature is performed independently in each spectral interval under the assumption of local-spectrum correlation. Hence, the dependence of predictions on the selection of a reference temperature is nearly eliminated. The method is shown to be capable of treating non-gray particulates and boundaries. ? 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Radiative transfer; Non-isothermal gases; Cumulative wavenumber 1. Introduction In recent years, much attention has been focused on the solution of radiative transfer problems in high temperature gaseous media [1]. Special interest was directed towards methods of spectral integration, to the problems in mixtures of gases with scattering particles, and to the treatment of non-isothermal and non-homogeneous cases. The weighted-sum-of gray-gases approach (WSGG) proposed in 1967 by Hottel and Sarom [2] in the context of the zonal method, undertook a development in the methods based on the global absorption coecient distribution functions (WSGG [3], SLW [4–6], ADF [7], ADFFG [8]). These methods, well-suited for the spectral integration in combination with the arbitrary methods of solution of radiative transfer equation (RTE), experience diculties in the cases of gas mixtures or non-uniform media. The special assumptions or hybrid combinations with other methods are required * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-801-378-6543; fax: +1-801-378-5037. E-mail address: webb@byu.edu (B.W. Webb). 0022-4073/02/$-see front matter ? 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII:S0022-4073(01)00229-1