Solar Energy and Sustainable Development Journal

Analysis of the Thermal Response of a Floor Heating System Incorporating a Phase Change Material

2025-10-05T12:12:15+00:00

The rapid urbanization and the increasing demand for indoor comfort have resulted in a rise in energy consumption and a negative impact on the environment within the building sector. A promising approach to improving energy efficiency is the integration of phase change materials (PCM) into underfloor heating systems. This study aims to assess the impact of PCM integration on the thermal and energy performance of a hydronic floor heating system. To achieve this objective, a two-dimensional numerical model was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics software. The finite element method, combined with the effective heat capacity approach, was employed to accurately simulate the thermal behavior of the system. The influence of several parameters, such as PCM type, thickness, and position within the floor structure, was analyzed to optimize system performance. The results reveal that integrating a 3 cm thick salt hydrate-based PCM, with a water supply temperature of 40 °C, significantly improves the thermal inertia of the floor. This configuration ensures a comfortable temperature (~27 °C) even after the heating system is turned off, with a time lag of 17 hours compared to a floor heating system without PCM. These findings highlight the potential of PCM in underfloor heating systems, offering an effective solution to reduce energy consumption in buildings while maintaining optimal thermal comfort.

Robust Control for DFIG-Based WECS with ANN-Based MPPT

2025-10-05T12:12:16+00:00

Mitigating nonlinearities and parameter fluctuations in high-rated wind energy systems is crucial for efficient energy conversion and grid integration. This paper presents a robust Integral Sliding Mode Control (ISMC) strategy for monitoring active and reactive power in a DFIG-based wind turbine. An artificial neural network based MPPT algorithm enhances speed control and addresses power fluctuations. The proposed ISMC ensures an optimal dynamic response to wind variations. Its performance is compared using a PI controller in Field-Oriented Control (FOC_PI) in MATLAB/Simulink on a wind system of 1.5 MW and tested under real-wind conditions. Simulation results confirm that ISMC outperforms FOC_PI in reference tracking, accuracy, dynamic behavior, and current distortion reduction.

Impact of Thermal Insulation on Vehicle Cabin Heat Loads and Energy Use

2025-10-05T12:12:17+00:00

A car's passenger cabin's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system is the biggest auxiliary charge, other than the primary traction charge. It may cause a vehicle with a motor to increase its energy consumption by up to 25%. The main factor contributing to the passenger compartment's excessive warmth is the car's exposure to maximum sun radiation.

The goal of this study is to predict the thermal loads of the studied vehicle. Indeed, energy-saving measures such as using various types of insulating and storing materials have been implemented in this paper to predict their impact on the vehicle's interior thermal loads. The inside fluid domain of a cabin was modeled and simulated using CATIA and FLUENT to investigate the temperature drop in the car's cabin based on their thermal characteristics. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were used Using a vehicle cabin CFD model that was verified by climatic measurements, simulation information covering the full range of boundary conditions that affect thermal loads was methodically generated. The results strongly supported the CFD study, highlighting its effectiveness in analyzing the key parameters impacting the internal thermal loads. They reveal that aerogel polymers are distinguished by a significantly superior insulating capacity, reducing energy consumption by up to 40% compared to existing materials. These findings pave the way for adopting highly economical and well-optimized vehicles.

Comprehensive Analysis of Optoelectronic Properties and Photovoltaic Performance of Rb2CuAsZ6 (Z = Br and Cl) Double Perovskites Using DFT and SCAPS-1D Modelling

2025-10-05T12:12:19+00:00

Rb₂CuAsZ₆ (Z = Br, Cl) double perovskites were studied for their optoelectronic and photovoltaic properties using a comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) analysis. Using the HSE06 functional for electronic band structure calculations, Rb₂CuAsBr₆and Rb₂CuAsCl₆ exhibit indirect band gaps (E_g) of 0.64 eV and 1.09 eV, respectively. Moreover, the analysis of the optical properties revealed substantial absorption (α) around 105 in both the visible and near-infrared regions, highlighting their suitability for solar cell and optoelectronic applications. Moreover, we utilised the absorber layer Rb₂CuAsCl₆ to construct an n-i-p structure perovskite and modelled it Using the SCAPS-1d program, this calculation was performed with a thickness of 400 nm of Rb2CuAsCl6, yielding remarkable performance: an open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of 0.81 V, a short-circuit current density (J_sc) of 38.33 mA/cm², a fill factor (FF) of 68.65%, and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.63%.