Development and quality control of vacuum glazing

N. Ng and L. So
University of Sydney

Vacuum Glazing is a new generation of thermally insulating window. The design of vacuum glazing is based on the principle of operation of the Dewar flask and is similar to a double glazing unit with an evacuated volume. Vacuum glazing consists of two glass sheets hermetically sealed together around the edges. The glass sheets are separated by a very narrow vacuum space and small supporting materials. High levels of thermal insulation are achieved by evacuating the space to a very low pressure. This low pressure greatly reduces the conduction and convection of gas within the space. Therefore, heat transfer through vacuum glazing is significantly lower as compared with double glazing unit with inert gas. In the development of vacuum glazing, many designs and techniques have been investigated in order to produce vacuum glazing with high insulating properties. Various quality control techniques have been developed to monitor the performance of vacuum glazing with regard to thermal conductance and internal pressure.

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The Authors

Mr. Nelson Ng Research fellow The University of Sydney Nelson Ng is the research fellow in the University of Sydney. He has worked in the investigation of thermal and optical stability of vacuum glazing for many years and plays a major role in the vacuum ... Read more