Transport Phenomena Fundamentals, 4th Edition

15

Radiative Transport

15.1 Introduction

Radiation is one of the three major transport mechanisms and, one could argue, the most important. The transport of energy by radiation provides virtually all the energy needed to sustain life on Earth. It drives the weather, feeds the plants we eat, distills the water we drink, provides illumination, and even fuels the vibrations we hear as sound. Eventually, radiation will supplant fossil fuels as our primary energy source whether we choose to harvest it via photovoltaic, solar-thermal, wind, hydroelectric, or tidal power. Even the fossil fuels we rely on now represent a form of geological radiation ...