Multiphysics Modeling Studies New Materials that Could Revolutionize Solar Energy

Karl-Anders Weiss, Fraunhofer Institute For Solar Energy Systems, Freiburg, Germany

Fundamentally new solar thermal collector designs based on polymeric materials are interesting because they replace metal with plastics and thus offer the potential of far lower costs. In studying these completely new designs, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE must consider a variety of interrelated factors including heat transfer due to fluid flow, heat-induced structural deformation and stress plus the mass transport of water through barriers. COMSOL^® is a software package which is flexible and comprehensive enough to handle the different physical tasks simultaneously.