Optimization of Solar Transmittance of a Three-Layer Glass Structure Based on the Ant Colony Algorithm

Abstract

Currently, high temperatures occur frequently in summer, and the overall duration of summer has been prolonged. Glass that reduces sunlight transmittance is an economical and effective passive energy-saving measure to lower indoor energy consumption. The structural parameters and types of glass have a significant impact on their solar transmittance. In this study, the optimization of the solar transmittance of three layers of ordinary glass by the thickness of the glass was carried out. The radiant energy of sunlight passing through Windows mainly exists in the near-infrared band, while ultraviolet radiation is harmful to the human body. Therefore, under the premise of ensuring lighting, minimizing the transmittance of the near-infrared and ultraviolet bands as much as possible can effectively reduce solar radiation and thereby lower energy consumption. The research achieves multi-objective optimization by establishing a spectral transmission model ranging from 300 to 2000nm and combining the ant colony algorithm to minimize the near-infrared and ultraviolet bands while ensuring daylighting. The research results show that when the thickness of the three-layer glass is 5.103mm, 5.724mm, and 5.310mm, it can minimize solar radiation energy to the greatest extent and ensure lighting. In this case, the total solar radiation transmission energy of the three-layer glass decreased from 1267.81 W/m2 before optimization to 997.37 W/m2, a reduction of 21.33%.