Classification of the calculation methods of diffuse radiation configuration factors

This article presents the results of generalizing the existing methods of determining the diffuse radiation configuration factors (CF) for radiation transfer calculation in the zone model of the system of bodies with the surfaces of complex form. Such problems arise while determining construction temperatures, surfaces illumination, constructing of realistic images and others in the different fields of science and technology: space, illumination engineering, building construction, power engineering, applied optics, computer graphics and so forth. The classification of the determining CF methods is proposed on the criterion of the sources of errors, which appear during calculations. Four classes of the methods are selected: exacts, special, numerical integration, and combined. The distribution of methods according to the classes is carried out. The base formulas and formulas for the numerical CF calculation are given. The derived classification allows users and developers of the computer programs of CF calculation to be oriented in the variety of methods and to select the most adequate of them for the solution of its own problem. In addition, it can be assumed as the basis of the construction of the generalized algorithm and program set of diffuse CF calculation for the broad variety of the tasks.