Thermal rectification in a bilayer wall: coupled radiation and conduction heat transfer

TL;DR

This paper investigates thermal rectification in a bilayer wall with conductive and radiative layers, deriving analytical bounds for the rectification factor using radiative transfer approximations.

Contribution

It provides the first analytical expressions for thermal rectification in a composite wall with coupled conduction and radiation, including bounds on the rectification factor.

Findings

Rectification factor is bounded by approximately 2.62.

Analytical expressions are derived for the rectification factor.

Both Rosseland and surface radiation approximations are used.

Abstract

Thermal rectification can occur when heat is transferred asymmetrically. We consider in this work, the case of a composite wall with one conductive and radiative layer. Both Rosseland and surface radiation approximations are used for taking into account radiative transfer. Analytical expressions for the rectification factor are given. It is shown that this factor is bounded by a maximum value of around 2.62.