Differential models for radiative heat transfer in scattering media: applications in aerospace engineering

The ordinary combination of the transport approximation for the scattering phase function with differential models for radiative and combined heat transfer in scattering media characterized by multiple scattering of thermal radiation has proven a reliable theoretical basis for approximate computational models used in various heat transfer problems in aerospace engineering. This statement is based on an analysis of several important applications such as the thermal radiation of the exhaust jets of solid-propellant rocket engines, the energy efficiency of liquid droplet radiators for space applications, heat transfer in vacuum thermal insulations of space vehicles in the case when the fibrous spacer is used in the insulations, solar probe shielding from intense solar radiation with the use of a cloud of silicon carbide particles generated by composite thermal insulation, and estimates of the radiative heat transfer in the reentry problem. The main ideas of this mini-review are expected to be useful for further research in aerospace engineering.