Mussad Mohammed S Alzahrani

@iau.edu.sa

Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department
Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University

Mussad Mohammed S Alzahrani


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https://researchid.co/mmsalzahrani

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, Energy Efficiency, Mechanical Power System, and Mechanical Design
26

Scopus Publications

411

Scholar Citations

13

Scholar h-index

13

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • A Novel Ultra-Efficient Electric Water Heater with Graphene-Enhanced Thermal Elements
    Mussad Alzahrani, Taher Maatallah, Ghazi Alotaibi, Saud Alsehrani, Ibrahim Alyousefi, et al.
    Energies, 2026
    Improving the efficiency of electric water heating systems is essential for reducing energy use and supporting sustainable energy utilization. This study presents the development and optimization of an ultra-efficient electric water heater incorporating graphene-enhanced thermal elements to improve heat-transfer performance and overall system efficiency. The proposed design utilizes graphene-based extended surfaces to enhance heat spreading and increase the effective heat-transfer area of the heating element. A combined numerical analysis and three-dimensional transient simulation approach was employed to evaluate the thermal behavior of the system and quantify the performance improvements achieved through design optimization. The results demonstrate significant enhancement in heating performance compared with conventional heater configuration. Under identical operating conditions, the optimized heater achieved up to a 68.4% reduction in the modeled heater-side thermal load, while maintaining the required heating performance. Additionally, the effective heat-transfer rate increased by approximately 108%, primarily due to a 102% increase in effective heat-transfer area resulting from geometric refinement of the heating surfaces. The incorporation of graphene improved heat distribution within the heating element and facilitated more efficient heat transfer to the surrounding water. These improvements lead to enhanced thermal utilization, reduced peak heating demand, and improved compatibility with renewable energy systems, highlighting the strong potential of graphene-based thermal enhancements for next-generation high-efficiency electric water heating technologies.
  • Optothermal Modeling for Sustainable Design of Ultrahigh-Concentration Photovoltaic Systems
    Taher Maatallah, Mussad Alzahrani, Souheil El Alimi, Sajid Ali
    Sustainability Switzerland, 2025
    The development of ultrahigh-concentration photovoltaic (UHCPV) systems plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable solar energy technologies. As the demand for clean energy grows, the need to align concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system design with high-efficiency solar cell production becomes critical for maximizing energy yield while minimizing resource use. Despite some experimental efforts in UHCPV development, there remains a gap in integrating Fresnel lens-based systems with the comprehensive thermal modeling of key components in improving system sustainability and performance. To bridge this gap and promote more energy-efficient designs, a detailed numerical model was established to evaluate both the thermal and optical performance of a UHCPV system. This model contributes to the sustainable design process by enabling informed decisions on system efficiency, thermal management, and material optimization before physical prototyping. Through COMSOL Multiphysics simulations, the system was assessed under direct normal irradiance (DNI) ranging from 400 to 1000 W/m2. Optical simulations indicated a high theoretical optical efficiency of ~93% and a concentration ratio of 1361 suns, underscoring the system’s potential to deliver high solar energy conversion with minimal land and material footprint. Moreover, the integration of thermal and optical modeling ensures a holistic understanding of system behavior under varying ambient temperatures (20–50 °C) and convective cooling conditions (heat transfer coefficients between 4 and 22 W/m2.K). The results showed that critical optical components remain within safe temperature thresholds (<54 °C), while the receiver stage operates between 78.5 °C and 157.4 °C. These findings highlight the necessity of an effective cooling mechanism—not only to preserve system longevity and safety but also to maintain high conversion efficiency, thereby supporting the broader goals of sustainable and reliable solar energy generation.
  • Structural Analysis of a Modular High-Concentration PV System Operating at ~1200 Suns
    Taher Maatallah, Mussad Alzahrani, William Cameron, Katie Shanks, Souheil El Alimi, et al.
    Machines, 2025
    The progression of research in concentration photovoltaic systems parallels the advancement of high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells. To translate the theoretical optical framework into practical experimentation, a modular and structurally validated mechanical configuration for a high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) system was developed, incorporating boundary conditions and ensuring full system integration. The system incorporates a modular mechanical architecture, allowing flexible integration and interchangeability of optical components for experimental configurations. The architecture offers a high degree of mechanical flexibility, providing each optical stage with multiple linear and angular adjustment capabilities to support precision alignment. To ensure tracking precision, the system was coupled with a three-dimensional sun tracker capable of withstanding torques up to 60 Nm and supporting a combined payload of 80 kg, including counterbalance. The integration necessitated implementation of a counterbalance mechanism along with comprehensive static load analysis to ensure alignment stability and mechanical resilience. A reinforced triangular support structure, fabricated from stainless steel, was validated through simulation to maintain deformation below 0.1 mm under stress levels reaching 5 MN/m2, confirming its mechanical robustness and reliability. Windage analysis confirmed that the tracker could safely operate at 15 m/s wind speed for tilt angles of 35° (counter-clockwise) and −5° (clockwise), while operation at a 80° (counter-clockwise) tilt is safe up to 12 m/s, ensuring compliance with local environmental conditions. Overall, the validated system demonstrates structural resilience and modularity, supporting experimental deployment and future scalability.
  • Fiber Optic Daylighting with Concentrating Solar Collectors: A State-of-the-Art Review
    Taher Maatallah, Faisal Wahab, Mussad Alzahrani, Arshad Jamal, Sajid Ali
    Energies, 2025
    Nowadays, the development of innovative and feasible sustainable solutions able to reduce lighting costs and enhance the building’s energy efficiency is a hot topic and one of the most challenging research avenues. In this context, fiber optic daylight (FOD) systems are a growing technology, where fiber optics can be used as a waveguide to transmit sunlight into the interior of windowless spaces. This review aims to track, analyze, and discuss the application of integrated FOD systems with concentrating solar collectors and provide a clear understanding of FOD system requirements and overall performance. In view of this, a comprehensive analysis of the most recent FOD systems, along with their different applications, has been provided to ensure a complete overview of the current state of FOD systems in terms of actual technological strengths, limitations, cost-effectiveness, and future application performance. Therefore, this paper comprehensively analyzes the structure and performance of FOD systems. It highlights the recent development and nanotechnology applications of FOD systems. Additionally, this article discusses the challenges of building-integrated FOD systems and the benefits of using FOD instead of conventional grid-integrated lighting devices and systems.
  • Numerical Investigation of Natural Light Transmission Through Fiber Optics
    Taher Maatallah, Mussad Alzahrani, Ahmad Almatar, Faisal Wahab, Sajid Ali
    Energies, 2025
    Fiber optics is a cutting-edge technology with boundless potential for transmitting natural light inside buildings. Imaging Solar concentrators are very efficient in focusing light within the approximate numerical aperture of fiber optics. The proof-of-concept of fiber optics concentration daylight systems was investigated and elaborated for only single-mode step-index fibers, and none of the previous studies had explored the full sun spectrum meticulously, the overall transmission efficiency, and the luminous output of such a system. The present research elaborates a detailed and exclusive numerical investigation of multi-mode-indexed fiber optics daylight systems. The proposed design consists of subsequent optical stages that focus light into the fiber optic cable, filter unwanted infrared wavelength radiation, and uniformly collimate visible light onto the fiber optics. The ray path and ray power intensities were traced and computed using the ray tracing technique. The obtained simulation results demonstrated an overall optical transmission efficiency of 32% along a 10 m length. The luminous efficacy of visible light transmission was evaluated based on the average illuminance levels inside buildings, indicating a substantial indoor lighting enhancement of 92 lumens/watt. The proof-of-concept was validated by building a laboratory scale of the proposed system; the tests have shown the technical feasibility of the system and the effective material integrity for practical applications
  • Study of Thermal, Structural, and Above-Room-Temperature Dielectric Properties of Mg-Cd-Cu Spinel Ferrites Under Different Annealing Temperatures
    Ibtissem Missaoui, Sobhi Hcini, Mussad Mohammed Alzahrani, Abdulrahman Mallah, Abdessalem Dhahri, et al.
    Journal of Electronic Materials, 2025
  • Economic Feasibility of Membrane Technology
    Asmaa Ahmed, Mussad M. Alzahrani, Muhammad Mubashir, Ahmed Refaat, Mohamed Elsakka
    Water Treatment and Desalination Membrane Separation Using Renewable Energy Resources, 2025
  • Study of structural, elastic, optical, dielectric, and magnetic properties of sol-gel synthesized Li0.2Co0.3Zn0.3Fe2.2O4 ferrite for optoelectronic and electrical applications
    Fakher Hcini, Sobhi Hcini, Mussad Mohammed Alzahrani, Mohamed Lamjed Bouazizi, Lamjed HajTaieb, et al.
    Materials Today Communications, 2024
  • Experimental investigation of nonuniform PV soiling
    Tarik Alkharusi, Mussad M. Alzahrani, Chandan Pandey, Hasan Yildizhan, Christos N. Markides
    Solar Energy, 2024
  • Record high solar concentration ratio for photovoltaics: Experimental validation for achieving effective concentration of >1200 suns
    Mussad M. Alzahrani, Katie Shanks, Yusuf Chanchangi, William J. Cameron, Taher S. Maatallah, et al.
    Solar Energy, 2024
  • Effects of partial shading on thermal stress and exergetic efficiency for a high concentrator photovoltaic
    William J. Cameron, Mussad M. Alzahrani, James Yule, Katie Shanks, K.S. Reddy, et al.
    Energy, 2024
  • Indoor experimental analysis of Serpentine-Based cooling scheme for high concentration photovoltaic thermal systems
    William J. Cameron, Mussad M. Alzahrani, James Yule, Katie Shanks, K.S. Reddy, et al.
    Applied Thermal Engineering, 2023
  • Outdoor experimental validation for ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic with serpentine-based cooling system
    William J. Cameron, Mussad M. Alzahrani, James Yule, Katie Shanks, K.S. Reddy, et al.
    Renewable Energy, 2023
  • Certified high-efficiency “large-area” perovskite solar module for Fresnel lens-based concentrated photovoltaics
    Anurag Roy, Bin Ding, Maria Khalid, Mussad Alzahrani, Yong Ding, et al.
    Iscience, 2023
  • Reliability and temperature limits of the focal spot of a primary optical component for an ultra-high concentrated photovoltaic system
    Asmaa Ahmed, Mussad Alzahrani, Katie Shanks, Senthilarasu Sundaram, Tapas K. Mallick
    Aip Conference Proceedings, 2022
  • Synergistic Effect of Paraffin-Incorporated In2O3/ZnO Multifold Smart Glazing Composite for the Self-Cleaning and Energy-Saving Built Environment
    Anurag Roy, Habib Ullah, Mussad Alzahrani, Aritra Ghosh, Tapas K. Mallick, et al.
    ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 2022
  • Optical component analysis for ultrahigh concentrated photovoltaic system (UHCPV)
    Mussad Alzahrani, Asmaa Ahmed, Katie Shanks, Senthilarasu Sundaram, Tapas Mallick
    Solar Energy, 2021
  • Investigation of thermal stress arising in a graphene neutral density filter for concentrated photovoltaic system
    Mussad M. Alzahrani, Anurag Roy, Senthilarasu Sundaram, Tapas K. Mallick
    Energies, 2021
  • Graphene as a pre-illumination cooling approach for a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) system
    Mussad Alzahrani, Anurag Roy, Katie Shanks, Senthilarasu Sundaram, Tapas K. Mallick
    Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2021
  • Analytical modeling and optimization of a heat sink design for passive cooling of solar PV panel
    Fahad AlAmri, Gaydaa AlZohbi, Mohammed AlZahrani, Mohammed Aboulebdah
    Sustainability Switzerland, 2021
  • Advances and limitations of increasing solar irradiance for concentrating photovoltaics thermal system
    Mussad Alzahrani, Katie Shanks, Tapas K. Mallick
    Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2021
  • Optimization and feasibility analysis of a microscale pin-fins heat sink of an ultrahigh concentrating photovoltaic system
    Gaeet AlFalah, Taher S. Maatallah, Mussad Alzahrani, Fahd Ghallab Al‐Amri
    International Journal of Energy Research, 2020
  • Effect of using an infrared filter on the performance of a silicon solar cell for an ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic system
    Asmaa Ahmed, Mussad Alzahrani, Katie Shanks, Senthilarasu Sundaram, Tapas K. Mallick
    Materials Letters, 2020
  • Optical losses and durability of flawed Fresnel lenses for concentrated photovoltaic application
    Mussad Alzahrani, Asmaa Ahmed, Katie Shanks, Senthilarasu Sundaram, Tapas Mallick
    Materials Letters, 2020
  • Estimation of the performance limits of a concentrator solar cell coupled with a micro heat sink based on a finite element simulation
    Mussad Alzahrani, Hasan Baig, Katie Shanks, Tapas Mallick
    Applied Thermal Engineering, 2020

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • A Novel Ultra-Efficient Electric Water Heater with Graphene-Enhanced Thermal Elements
    M Alzahrani, T Maatallah, G Alotaibi, S Alsehrani, I Alyousefi, A Alazeb, ...
    Energies 19 (9), 2193 , 2026
    2026
  • Scalable and Passive Concentrator Photovoltaics Using a Multi-Focal Pyramidal Array: A Multi-Physics Modeling Approach
    MM Al-Zahrani, T Maatallah
    Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer 23 (6), 1883-1905 , 2025
    2025
  • Solar-Thermal Process Intensification for Blue Hydrogen Production: Integrated Steam Methane Reforming with a Waste-Derived Red Mud Catalyst
    T Maatallah, M Al-Zahrani, S Hilal, A Alsubaie, M Aljohani, M Alghamdi, ...
    Designs 9 (6), 138 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 3
  • Design and Optimization of a Solar Parabolic Dish for Steam Generation in a Blue Hydrogen Production Plant
    T Maatallah, M Al-Zahrani, S Hilal, A Alsubaie, M Aljohani, M Alghamdi, ...
    Hydrogen 6 (4), 85 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 1
  • Economic Feasibility of Membrane Technology
    A Ahmed, MM Alzahrani, M Mubashir, A Refaat, M Elsakka
    Water Treatment and Desalination: Membrane Separation using Renewable Energy … , 2025
    2025
  • Optothermal Modeling for Sustainable Design of Ultrahigh-Concentration Photovoltaic Systems
    T Maatallah, M Alzahrani, S El Alimi, S Ali
    Sustainability 17 (12), 5262 , 2025
    2025
  • Structural Analysis of a Modular High-Concentration PV System Operating at~ 1200 Suns
    T Maatallah, M Alzahrani, W Cameron, K Shanks, SE Alimi, TK Mallick, ...
    Machines 13 (6), 468 , 2025
    2025
  • Fiber Optic Daylighting with Concentrating Solar Collectors: A State-of-the-Art Review
    T Maatallah, F Wahab, M Alzahrani, A Jamal, S Ali
    Energies 18 (8), 2097 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 3
  • Numerical investigation of natural light transmission through fiber optics
    T Maatallah, M Alzahrani, A Almatar, F Wahab, S Ali
    Energies 18 (5), 1103 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 4
  • Study of thermal, structural, and above-room-temperature dielectric properties of Mg-Cd-Cu spinel ferrites under different annealing temperatures
    I Missaoui, S Hcini, MM Alzahrani, A Mallah, A Dhahri, K Khirouni, ...
    Journal of Electronic Materials 54 (2), 1104-1122 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 6
  • Structural, Elastic, Refractive Index and Energy Band Gap Properties of Li0. 5Co0. 5FeCrO4 Ferrite for Non-Linear Optical and Optoelectronic Applications
    F Hcini, MM Alzahrani, S Hcini, ML Bouazizi, K Khirouni
    Preprints , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 2
  • Study of structural, elastic, optical, dielectric, and magnetic properties of sol-gel synthesized Li0. 2Co0. 3Zn0. 3Fe2. 2O4 ferrite for optoelectronic and electrical applications
    F Hcini, S Hcini, MM Alzahrani, ML Bouazizi, L HajTaieb, H ben Bacha
    Materials Today Communications 41, 111035 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 9
  • Experimental investigation of nonuniform PV soiling
    T Alkharusi, MM Alzahrani, C Pandey, H Yildizhan, CN Markides
    Solar Energy 272, 112493 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 33
  • Record high solar concentration ratio for photovoltaics: Experimental validation for achieving effective concentration of> 1200 suns
    MM Alzahrani, K Shanks, Y Chanchangi, WJ Cameron, TS Maatallah, ...
    Solar Energy 271, 112427 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 5
  • Effects of partial shading on thermal stress and exergetic efficiency for a high concentrator photovoltaic
    WJ Cameron, MM Alzahrani, J Yule, K Shanks, KS Reddy, TK Mallick
    Energy 288, 129818 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 9
  • Indoor experimental analysis of serpentine-based cooling scheme for high concentration photovoltaic thermal systems
    WJ Cameron, MM Alzahrani, J Yule, K Shanks, KS Reddy, TK Mallick
    Applied Thermal Engineering 234, 121183 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 15
  • Outdoor experimental validation for ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic with serpentine-based cooling system
    WJ Cameron, MM Alzahrani, J Yule, K Shanks, KS Reddy, TK Mallick
    Renewable Energy 215, 118926 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 7
  • Certified high-efficiency “large-area” perovskite solar module for Fresnel lens-based concentrated photovoltaics
    A Roy, B Ding, M Khalid, M Alzahrani, Y Ding, AA Tahir, S Sundaram, ...
    IScience 26 (3) , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 15
  • Reliability and temperature limits of the focal spot of a primary optical component for an ultra-high concentrated photovoltaic system
    A Ahmed, M Alzahrani, K Shanks, S Sundaram, TK Mallick
    AIP Conference Proceedings 2550 (1), 040001 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 18
  • Synergistic Effect of Paraffin-Incorporated In 2 O 3 /ZnO Multifold Smart Glazing Composite for the Self-Cleaning and Energy-Saving Built Environment
    A Roy, H Ullah, M Alzahrani, A Ghosh, TK Mallick, AA Tahir
    ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering 10 (20), 6609-6621 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 23

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Advances and limitations of increasing solar irradiance for concentrating photovoltaics thermal system
    M Alzahrani, K Shanks, TK Mallick
    Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 138, 110517 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 71
  • Estimation of the performance limits of a concentrator solar cell coupled with a micro heat sink based on a finite element simulation
    M Alzahrani, H Baig, K Shanks, T Mallick
    Applied Thermal Engineering 176, 115315 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 46
  • Experimental investigation of nonuniform PV soiling
    T Alkharusi, MM Alzahrani, C Pandey, H Yildizhan, CN Markides
    Solar Energy 272, 112493 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 33
  • A novel design for solar integrated multi-effect distillation driven by sensible heat and alternate storage tanks
    M Alsehli, M Alzahrani, JK Choi
    Desalination 468, 114061 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 33
  • Optimization and feasibility analysis of a microscale pin‐fins heat sink of an ultrahigh concentrating photovoltaic system
    G AlFalah, TS Maatallah, M Alzahrani, FG Al‐Amri
    International Journal of Energy Research 44 (14), 11852-11871 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 24
  • Synergistic Effect of Paraffin-Incorporated In 2 O 3 /ZnO Multifold Smart Glazing Composite for the Self-Cleaning and Energy-Saving Built Environment
    A Roy, H Ullah, M Alzahrani, A Ghosh, TK Mallick, AA Tahir
    ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering 10 (20), 6609-6621 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 23
  • Graphene as a pre-illumination cooling approach for a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) system
    M Alzahrani, A Roy, K Shanks, S Sundaram, TK Mallick
    Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 222, 110922 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 21
  • Effect of using an infrared filter on the performance of a silicon solar cell for an ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic system
    A Ahmed, M Alzahrani, K Shanks, S Sundaram, TK Mallick
    Materials Letters 277, 128332 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 21
  • Reliability and temperature limits of the focal spot of a primary optical component for an ultra-high concentrated photovoltaic system
    A Ahmed, M Alzahrani, K Shanks, S Sundaram, TK Mallick
    AIP Conference Proceedings 2550 (1), 040001 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 18
  • Optical component analysis for ultrahigh concentrated photovoltaic system (UHCPV)
    M Alzahrani, A Ahmed, K Shanks, S Sundaram, T Mallick
    Solar Energy 227, 321-333 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 18
  • Indoor experimental analysis of serpentine-based cooling scheme for high concentration photovoltaic thermal systems
    WJ Cameron, MM Alzahrani, J Yule, K Shanks, KS Reddy, TK Mallick
    Applied Thermal Engineering 234, 121183 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 15
  • Certified high-efficiency “large-area” perovskite solar module for Fresnel lens-based concentrated photovoltaics
    A Roy, B Ding, M Khalid, M Alzahrani, Y Ding, AA Tahir, S Sundaram, ...
    IScience 26 (3) , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 15
  • Optical losses and durability of flawed Fresnel lenses for concentrated photovoltaic application
    M Alzahrani, A Ahmed, K Shanks, S Sundaram, T Mallick
    Materials Letters 275, 128145 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 14
  • Study of structural, elastic, optical, dielectric, and magnetic properties of sol-gel synthesized Li0. 2Co0. 3Zn0. 3Fe2. 2O4 ferrite for optoelectronic and electrical applications
    F Hcini, S Hcini, MM Alzahrani, ML Bouazizi, L HajTaieb, H ben Bacha
    Materials Today Communications 41, 111035 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 9
  • Effects of partial shading on thermal stress and exergetic efficiency for a high concentrator photovoltaic
    WJ Cameron, MM Alzahrani, J Yule, K Shanks, KS Reddy, TK Mallick
    Energy 288, 129818 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 9
  • Outdoor experimental validation for ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic with serpentine-based cooling system
    WJ Cameron, MM Alzahrani, J Yule, K Shanks, KS Reddy, TK Mallick
    Renewable Energy 215, 118926 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 7
  • Investigation of thermal stress arising in a graphene neutral density filter for concentrated photovoltaic system
    MM Alzahrani, A Roy, S Sundaram, TK Mallick
    Energies 14 (12), 3515 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 7
  • Study of thermal, structural, and above-room-temperature dielectric properties of Mg-Cd-Cu spinel ferrites under different annealing temperatures
    I Missaoui, S Hcini, MM Alzahrani, A Mallah, A Dhahri, K Khirouni, ...
    Journal of Electronic Materials 54 (2), 1104-1122 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 6
  • Record high solar concentration ratio for photovoltaics: Experimental validation for achieving effective concentration of> 1200 suns
    MM Alzahrani, K Shanks, Y Chanchangi, WJ Cameron, TS Maatallah, ...
    Solar Energy 271, 112427 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 5
  • Numerical investigation of natural light transmission through fiber optics
    T Maatallah, M Alzahrani, A Almatar, F Wahab, S Ali
    Energies 18 (5), 1103 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 4