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Aerogel-Assisted Support Pillars for Thermal Performance Enhancement of Vacuum Glazing: A CFD Research for a Commercial Product

  • Research Article - Civil Engineering
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Abstract

Vacuum glazing is an up-and-coming and rapidly developing technology which has a great potential to reduce heating and cooling demand of buildings in winter and summer, respectively. In this paper, the world’s first commercially available vacuum glazing product is numerically investigated through a CFD-based research. Accuracy of the CFD model is compared with the manufacturer’s thermal performance report, and an excellent agreement is observed. Then, translucent aerogel support pillars are recommended for commercial vacuum glazing, and impact of this replacement on the thermal performance of the glazing is numerically analysed. Number of support pillars at any section is also studied in terms of its impact on the U-value. The results indicate that the U-value of vacuum glazing can be reduced to 0.67 W/m2 K with aerogel support pillars, whereas it is 1.20 W/m2 K for the existing product. Moreover, the U-value might be lower than 0.40 W/m2 K if the number of support pillars at each section is optimized.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK

    Erdem Cuce & Saffa B. Riffat

  2. Republic of Turkey Ministry of National Education, Ankara, Turkey

    Erdem Cuce

Authors
  1. Erdem Cuce
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  2. Saffa B. Riffat
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Correspondence to Erdem Cuce.

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Cuce, E., Riffat, S.B. Aerogel-Assisted Support Pillars for Thermal Performance Enhancement of Vacuum Glazing: A CFD Research for a Commercial Product. Arab J Sci Eng 40, 2233–2238 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-015-1727-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-015-1727-5

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