Investigation on the integrated thermal radiative performances of the Laguerre-Voronoi foam

A parametric modeling approach was used to develop Laguerre–Voronoi foam (LVF), which holds significant promise for applications in solar thermal systems, porous-medium combustion, and chemical engineering. The thermal radiative properties of LVF—including the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), directional-hemispherical reflectivity, and extinction coefficient—were quantitatively investigated using a pore-scale method combined with Monte Carlo ray tracing (MCRT) and validated through experimental tests. It was observed that the reflected energy of LVF is concentrated primarily in the backward direction. The directional hemispherical reflectance steadily increases with larger relative strut diameter, higher strut reflectivity, and larger incident angle. The extinction coefficient increases with larger relative strut diameters but decreases with larger cell diameters. Additionally, a predictive correlation for directional hemispherical reflectance was developed using MCRT results, with an MAPE of 5.9% relative to the MCRT data. Similarly, a predictive correlation for the extinction coefficient, linking the relative strut diameter to the cell diameter, was established, yielding an MAPE of 5.2% against MCRT data. This work offers a new technical approach and theoretical foundation for evaluating and optimizing the thermal radiative properties of LVF in high-temperature thermal radiation applications.