Heat transfer and stress distribution in the central part of vacuum glazing

Abstract

Vacuum glazing (VG) is a super-insulator which can effectively reduce energy consumption in buildings. It consists of two glass panes and the gap in between is evacuated. To withstand the atmospheric pressure, spacers are arrayed in the gap and the edge is sealed. This study conducts heat transfer and stress analysis in the central part of VG. Previous studies used simple one-dimensional thermal resistance model to analyze the heat transfer. This study applies multi-dimensional heat transfer analysis and the effects of various geometrical parameters on the thermal resistance are concisely expressed in a fitted formula from the computational results. In addition, the stress concentration caused by the glass-spacer contact is numerically found and a few methods to avoid it are suggested. Finally, the heat transfer is analyzed again for a modified spacer to confirm the applicability of the previously fitted formula.