Research 

Our research expertise is in the areas of the thermal analysis of windows and the simulation of energy use in buildings.

Thomas Simko, PhD, MIEAust, CPEng, has research experience in and has co-authored many publications about windows (listed below). He was extensively involved in the International Energy Agency Task 18 (Advanced Glazing Materials), through which he co-ordinated an international collaboration. He has taught undergraduate and graduate students about windows and building energy analysis. His specific areas of interest are the thermal and structural modelling of vacuum glazing and other fenestration products.

Thermal modelling is performed with the following software: THERM, WINDOW and LISA.

Building energy use is studied with eQUEST and HOT2000.

THERM model: temperatures at the edge of vacuum glazing

 eQUEST building simulation

Publications

T. Simko and R.E. Collins, Vacuum Glazing - Development, Design Challenges and Commercialisation, Australian Journal of Mechanical Engineering. (in press, accepted for publication on 17 November 2013).

T. Simko and M. Gray, Lunar Helium-3 fuel for Nuclear Fusion – Technology, Economics and Resources (in review, submitted to World Future Review on 30 November 2013)

T. Simko, C. Kocer and R.E. Collins Condensation Over Vacuum Glazing Pillars (in progress, to be submitted to Building and Environment in March 2014)

T. Simko, C. Kocer and R.E. Collins, Stresses in Vacuum Glazing Due to Atmospheric Pressure  (in progress, to be submitted in March 2014)

D. Beamish and T. Simko, Powder Coating Thickness Measurement, Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine (September/October  2011 edition)

P.H. Oosthuizen, A. Kalendar, and T.M. Simko, Three-Dimensional Natural Convective Flow in a Rectangular Enclosure With a Rectangular Heated Section on One Vertical Wall and With the Other Walls Cooled, Proceedings of 2008 ASME Summer Heat Transfer Conference, Jacksonville, Florida, 2008.

P.H. Oosthuizen, A. Kalendar, and T.M. Simko, Three-Dimensional Natural Convective Flow in a Rectangular Enclosure With a Rectangular Heated Section on One Vertical Wall and a Cooled Horizontal Upper Wall, 5th European Thermal-Sciences Conference, The Netherlands, 2008.

T.M. Simko, L. Sun, and P.H. Oosthuizen, Transition of Natural Convective Flow with Inclination in a Square Cavity with a Partially Heated Wall, 21 st Canadian Congress of Applied Mechanics, June, 2007, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2007.

T.M. Simko, and S.J. Harrison, Thermal Analysis of a Solar Collector With A Standard Approach and Software Used to Study Windows, Canadian Solar Buildings Conference, June, 2007, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 2007.

C.A. Cruickshank, J.D. Kempson, J. Killing, A.J. Mason, T.P. Verdun, R. Yeung, D.R. Beckett, S.J. Harrison, and T.M. Simko, Solar Electric Vehicles – Design Challenges and Performance, Proceedings of the 2003 Conference of the Solar Energy Society of Canada Inc., August, 2003, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 2003. 

T.M. Simko, A.H. Elmahdy and R.E. Collins, Determination of the Overall Heat Transmission Coefficient (U-value) of Vacuum Glazing, American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers Transactions 105, Part 2, 891-899, 1999.

R.E. Collins, and T.M. Simko, Current Status of the Science and Technology of Vacuum Glazing, Solar Energy Journal Special Issue, 62(3), 189-213, 1998. (Journal Publication)

T.M. Simko, A.C. Fischer-Cripps, and R.E. Collins, Temperature-Induced Stresses in Vacuum Glazing: Modeling and Experimental Validation, Solar Energy, 63(1), 1-21, 1998.

C.J Dey, T.M. Simko, R.E. Collins and Q-C. Zhang, Design and Validation of Guarded Hot Plate Instruments for Measuring Heat Flow Between Evacuated Plane-Parallel Glass Surfaces, Review of Scientific Instruments, 69(8), 2939-2947, 1998.

C.F. Wilson, T.M. Simko, and R.E. Collins, Heat Conduction Through the Support Pillars in Vacuum Glazing, Solar Energy, 63(6), 393-406, 1998.

Q-C. Zhang, T.M. Simko, C.J. Dey, R.E. Collins, G.M. Turner, M. Brunotte and A. Gombert, The Measurement and Calculation of Radiative Heat Transfer Between Uncoated and Doped Tin Oxide Coated Glass Surfaces, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 40(1), 61-70, 1997.

R.E. Collins, G.M. Turner, A.C. Fischer-Cripps, J-Z. Tang, T.M. Simko, C. Dey, D.A. Clugston, Q-C. Zhang, and J.D. Garrison, Vacuum Glazing – A New Component for Insulating Windows, Building and Environment, 30(4), 459-492, 1995.

T.M. Simko, R.E. Collins, J-Z. Tang, A.C. Fischer-Cripps, and J.D. Garrison, An Overview of the Technology of Vacuum Glazing, Proceedings of the Windows Innovations 95 Conference, 1, Toronto, Canada, 578-587, 1995.

T.M. Simko, R.E. Collins, F.A. Beck and D. Arasteh, Edge Conduction in Vacuum Glazing, Thermal VI – Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Buildings VI – Heat Transfer in Fenestration II – Principles – 10A, 601-611, 1995.

R.A. Facer, K. Viravong, N.M. Kelly, M.C. Lahiff, B.A. Miliauskas, N.C. Overkov, A. Rodeghiero, T.M. Simko, G. Tsoukalas and A. Winch, Petrophysics of PHKB1 (Bunnerong No. 1) Drill Core (Sydney Basin) - An Example of Integration, Co-operation and a Class Exercise, Preview (Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists) 56, 31-34, (1995).

R.E. Collins, C.J. Dey, A.C. Fischer-Cripps, G.M. Turner, J-Z. Tang, T.M. Simko, and D.A. Clugston, Production and Properties of Evacuated Glazing, ISES Solar World Congress, 23-27 August 1993, Budapest, Hungary, 7, 355-360, 1993.

P.H. Oosthuizen, T. Simko, and J.T. Paul, Natural Convection in an Inclined Square Enclosure with a Partially Heated Wall, Proceedings of the 14 th Canadian Congress of Applied Mechanics, 30 May - 4 June, 1993, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, II, 591-592, 1993.

R.E. Collins, C.A. Davis, C. Dey, A. Fischer-Cripps , S.J. Robinson, T. Simko, J-Z. Tang, G.M. Turner and X. Zhou, Measurement of Thermal Conductance of Evacuated Glazing, TI5 Proceedings of the Fifth International Transparent Insulation Meeting, Freiburg, Germany, 121–124 (1992).

Please contact us for more information.