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Comparative analysis of two numerical methods for simulation of unsteady natural convection and thermal surface radiation within a differentially heated cubical cavity has been carried out. The considered domain of interest had two isothermal opposite vertical faces, while other walls are adiabatic. The walls surfaces were diffuse and gray, namely, their directional spectral emissivity and absorptance do not depend on direction or wavelength but can depend on surface temperature. For the reflected radiation we had two approaches such as: 1) the reflected radiation is diffuse, namely, an intensity of the reflected radiation in any point of the surface is uniform for all directions; 2) the reflected radiation is uniform for each surface of the considered enclosure. Mathematical models formulated both in primitive variables “velocity–pressure” and in transformed variables “vector potential functions – vorticity vector” have been performed numerically using finite volume method and finite difference methods, respectively. It should be noted that radiative heat transfer has been analyzed using the net-radiation method in Poljak approach.

Using primitive variables and finite volume method for the considered boundary-value problem we applied power-law for an approximation of convective terms and central differences for an approximation of diffusive terms. The difference motion and energy equations have been solved using iterative method of alternating directions. Definition of the pressure field associated with velocity field has been performed using SIMPLE procedure.

Using transformed variables and finite difference method for the considered boundary-value problem we applied monotonic Samarsky scheme for convective terms and central differences for diffusive terms. Parabolic equations have been solved using locally one-dimensional Samarsky scheme. Discretization of elliptic equations for vector potential functions has been conducted using symmetric approximation of the second-order derivatives. Obtained difference equation has been solved by successive over-relaxation method. Optimal value of the relaxation parameter has been found on the basis of computational experiments.

As a result we have found the similar distributions of velocity and temperature in the case of these two approaches for different values of Rayleigh number, that illustrates an operability of the used techniques. The efficiency of transformed variables with finite difference method for unsteady problems has been shown.

Mathematical simulation of unsteady natural convection and thermal surface radiation within a rotating square enclosure was performed. The considered domain of interest had two isothermal opposite walls subjected to constant low and high temperatures, while other walls are adiabatic. The walls were diffuse and gray. The considered cavity rotated with constant angular velocity relative to the axis that was perpendicular to the cavity and crossed the cavity in the center. Mathematical model, formulated in dimensionless transformed variables “stream function – vorticity” using the Boussinesq approximation and diathermic approach for the medium, was performed numerically using the finite difference method. The vorticity dispersion equation and energy equation were solved using locally one-dimensional Samarskii scheme. The diffusive terms were approximated by central differences, while the convective terms were approximated using monotonic Samarskii scheme. The difference equations were solved by the Thomas algorithm. The approximated Poisson equation for the stream function was solved by successive over-relaxation method. Optimal value of the relaxation parameter was found on the basis of computational experiments. Radiative heat transfer was analyzed using the net-radiation method in Poljak approach. The developed computational code was tested using the grid independence analysis and experimental and numerical results for the model problem.

Numerical analysis of unsteady natural convection and thermal surface radiation within the rotating enclosure was performed for the following parameters: Ra = 10³–10⁶, Ta = 0–10⁵, Pr = 0.7, ε = 0–0.9. All distributions were obtained for the twentieth complete revolution when one can find the periodic behavior of flow and heat transfer. As a result we revealed that at low angular velocity the convective flow can intensify but the following growth of angular velocity leads to suppression of the convective flow. The radiative Nusselt number changes weakly with the Taylor number.

Laser damage to transparent solids is a major limiting factor output power of laser systems. For laser rangefinders, the most likely destruction cause of elements of the optical system (lenses, mirrors) actually, as a rule, somewhat dusty, is not an optical breakdown as a result of avalanche, but such a thermal effect on the dust speck deposited on an element of the optical system (EOS), which leads to its ignition. It is the ignition of a speck of dust that initiates the process of EOS damage.

The corresponding model of this process leading to the ignition of a speck of dust takes into account the nonlinear Stefan –Boltzmann law of thermal radiation and the infinite thermal effect of periodic radiation on the EOS and the speck of dust. This model is described by a nonlinear system of differential equations for two functions: the EOS temperature and the dust particle temperature. It is proved that due to the accumulating effect of periodic thermal action, the process of reaching the dust speck ignition temperature occurs almost at any a priori possible changes in this process of the thermophysical parameters of the EOS and the dust speck, as well as the heat exchange coefficients between them and the surrounding air. Averaging these parameters over the variables related to both the volume and the surfaces of the dust speck and the EOS is correct under the natural constraints specified in the paper. The entire really significant spectrum of thermophysical parameters is covered thanks to the use of dimensionless units in the problem (including numerical results).

A thorough mathematical study of the corresponding nonlinear system of differential equations made it possible for the first time for the general case of thermophysical parameters and characteristics of the thermal effect of periodic laser radiation to find a formula for the value of the permissible radiation intensity that does not lead to the destruction of the EOS as a result of the ignition of a speck of dust deposited on the EOS. The theoretical value of the permissible intensity found in the general case in the special case of the data from the Grasse laser ranging station (south of France) almost matches that experimentally observed in the observatory.

In parallel with the solution of the main problem, we derive a formula for the power absorption coefficient of laser radiation by an EOS expressed in terms of four dimensionless parameters: the relative intensity of laser radiation, the relative illumination of the EOS, the relative heat transfer coefficient from the EOS to the surrounding air, and the relative steady-state temperature of the EOS.