Z. Bouhssine¹, M. Faraji¹, M. Najam¹, M. El Alami^1,2

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.11, No.1, pp. 63-85, 2015, DOI:10.3970/fdmp.2015.011.063

Abstract The objective of this study is to optimize the thermal performance of a solar collector. The solar collector is coupled to a building slab with a PCM layer. A mathematical model for the thermal behavior of the studied system is developed using the enthalpy method. The model parameters are defined and the resulting equations are solved iteratively. Several simulations were carried out to optimize the proposed heating system. The results show that the inlet temperature fluctuations are less pronounced than those at the outlet. More >

Shadia J Ikhmayies¹, Naseem M. Abu El-Haija², Riyad N. Ahmad-Bitar³

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.6, No.2, pp. 219-232, 2010, DOI:10.3970/fdmp.2010.006.219

Abstract Large area and highly uniform polycrystalline ZnO thin films have been produced by a spray pyrolysis (SP) technique resorting to a customized system (spraying) on glass substrates at temperature Ts= 450℃. This study deals with the related investigation about the influence of heat treatment (in nitrogen atmosphere) on the resulting properties (electrical, optical and structural) of such films. Properties are analyzed by means of I-V plots, transmittance curves, X-Ray diffractograms (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs. Results show that the resistivity of the films decreases from about 200W.cm for the as-deposited films to about 95W.cm for annealed films. XRD… More >

ShadiaJ. Ikhmayies¹, Naseem M. Abu El-Haija¹, Riyad N. Ahmad-Bitar¹

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.6, No.2, pp. 165-178, 2010, DOI:10.3970/fdmp.2010.006.165

Abstract Undoped polycrystalline ZnO thin films were produced on glass substrates at a substrate temperature Ts= 450 C by the spray pyrolysis (SP) technique. The films were characterized by analyzing their I-V curves, transmittance, X-ray diffractograms (XRD) and their scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The I-V plots are all linear and the resistivity was found to be about 200W.cm. The transmittance in the visible and near infrared regions is as high as 85% which is suitable for solar cell applications. The absorption coefficient which is deduced from the transmittance measurements is continuously increasing with the photon's energy and it rapidly increases… More >

Morteza Eslamian^1,2, M. Ziad Saghir^1,3

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 353-380, 2012, DOI:10.3970/fdmp.2012.008.353

Abstract In this paper recent advances pertinent to the applications of thermodiffusion or thermomigration in the fabrication of micro and nano metal-doped semiconductor-based patterns and devices are reviewed and discussed. In thermomigration, a spot, line, or layer of a p-type dopant, such as aluminum, which is deposited on a semiconductor surface, penetrates into the semiconductor body due to the presence of a temperature gradient applied across the wafer body. The trails of p-doped regions within an n-type semiconductor, in the form of columns or walls, may be used for several applications, such as the isolation of a part of a semiconductor… More >

F.Z. Ferahta^1,2, S. Bougoul¹, M. Médale², C. Abid²

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.8, No.3, pp. 339-352, 2012, DOI:10.3970/fdmp.2012.008.339

Abstract A numerical study is carried out to evaluate the thermal performances of a solar collector. As it is well known, that the thermal losses of such systems are mainly of a convective nature, the study is concentrated in particular on the features of natural convection that is activated in the air domain delimited by the upper glass and the lower absorber of the solar collector. The efficiency of such a system depends essentially on both the temperature difference and the distance between the absorber and the glass. Since the temperature difference remains an uncontrolled variable (because it depends on the… More >

W.H. Chen¹, C.W. Hong^1,2

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.21, No.2, pp. 147-170, 2011, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2011.021.147

Abstract Nanorod/nanowell/nanotube arrays are effective nanotechnologies that can increase the performance of a photo-electrochemical solar cell by increasing the reaction area of the working electrode. However, the confined space due to the nano-arrays also tends to decrease the redox ion diffusivity. This paper describes computer modeling on the ionic diffusion of the active species (I-/I3-) among the nano-arrays of the working electrode material (TiO2). A three dimensional periodic boundary molecular dynamics simulation technique is employed to simulate the nano-scale transport phenomenon. Performance improvement tendency can be evaluated from the Butler-Volmer equation. Simulation results reveal that the increasing reaction area times the… More >