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

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.