Modelling and optimisation of thermal expansion and thermal conductivity using face-centred central composite design-based response surface methodology: An experimental approach Gurukarthik Babu Balachandran, Vishnu Karan Baskaran, Hariharasudhan Thangaraj, Prince Winston David Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part E Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering, 2024 Due to the shortage in availability of potable water the risk of water scarcity has reached its heights. Researchers have developed methods to increase the availability of potable water in various ways. Solar desalination technique using solar still would assure to have efficient water yield. Thermal energy plays an essential role in the output efficiency of PV panel and the production of solar still. The purpose of our paper is focused on optimisation of thermal properties of Aluminium, Copper and Iron. To obtain the optimised value of thermal properties namely thermal conductivity and thermal expansion an approach called response surface methodology is used. It would reduce the count in which the experiment is repeated as it has a pre-determined set of input parameters and further helps in cost reduction. The optimised input parameters are the volume percentage of Aluminium-0.17 percentage, Copper-2.42 percentage and Iron-2.64 percentage. The optimized output values obtained are of thermal conductivity and thermal expansion. A method called the two-probe method is used for determining the thermal conductivity and the Buoyancy method helps in determining the thermal expansion of the considered samples. The obtained optimised values are inferred from ANOVA. For thermal conductivity, the Adjusted R2 is 0.9796 and for thermal expansion the Adjusted R2 is 0.9032. The Standard Deviation is observed to be 0.202 whereas the Mean value is observed to be 0.4666. The resulting optimised values of thermal conductivity and thermal expansion are 0.467 W/(m*K) and 1.534*10−5(1/K). This ensured the reduced repetition of the experimental run to identify the optimal output value of the system using response surface methodology through central composite design.
Optimizing solar still performance: A response surface methodology approach to evaporation and condensation enhancement Santhiya Ravindran, Gurukarthik Babu Balachandran, Hariharasudhan Thangaraj, Vishnu Karan Baskaran Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part E Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering, 2024 Water crisis is a major problem across the world. It is significant to migrate for effective methodologies to meet future water demand. Solar-based desalination system is environmental friendly and suitable method for potable water yield production from saline/brackish water and also cost effective than other methods. The role of optimization study in maximizing the water yield is paramount for the performance enhancement of solar-based desalination system and its effect was insufficiently addressed. In present study, a new approach of waste scraper and double fan arrangement is introduced inside the conventional solar still (SS). Then, using response surface methodology, Box–Behnken design (BBD)-based optimization is performed to determine optimal solution for the influence of input parameters (operating Time interval, Time duration and voltage of scraper and dual fan) on the output parameter relative humidity (RH) to increase the condensation and evaporation rates of a SS, which helps to enhance the water yield productivity. Experiment is conducted at 9.672° (North) and 77.994° (East) Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. Validation of experiment results is done using the BBD method. Result reveals that the analysis of variance model with double-fan arrangement inside the still shows better with optimal performance with a coefficient of determination R2 = 97.78%, adequate precision = 46.22, RH = 76.515% than that with scraper arrangement ( R2 = 96.7%, adequate precision = 35.76, RH = 76.327%). The optimized model exhibit promising results with statistically significant P-value less than .0001 for the both methods and its F-value is noticed that 126.96 (for a SS with scraper) and 190.66 (for a SS with double fan).The outcome of this study helps to enhance the condensation rate to produce the more amount of fresh water from hybrid photovoltaic with thermal system.
Experimental Investigations on the Comparison of Multi-Objective Design for High Thermal Energy Applications: An Insight into Response Surface Methodology Gurukarthik Babu Balachandran, Vishnu Karan Baskaran, Hariharasudhan Thangaraj, Prince Winston David Energy Sources Part A Recovery Utilization and Environmental Effects, 2024 This paper focuses on optimizing the thermal properties of aluminum, copper, and iron. Response Surface Methodology was employed to determine the optimal values for thermal conductivity and thermal expansion, minimizing experimental repetitions, and reducing costs by using pre-determined input parameters. These parameters include the volume percentages of aluminum, copper, and iron. The optimized output values for thermal conductivity and thermal expansion are measured using the two-probe method and buoyancy method, respectively, and inferred from ANOVA. The Response Surface Methodology is utilized for optimization, and various approaches analyzed include Central-Composite-Design, Box-Behnken-Design, Full-Factorial-Design, and Optimal-I method. For Central-Composite-Design, deviations are 1.07 for thermal conductivity and 0.98 for thermal expansion, with R2 values of 0.9898 and 0.9355 and F values of 96.910 and 29. For Full-Factorial-Design, deviations are 39.42 for thermal conductivity and 26.83 for thermal expansion, with R2 values of 0.86 and 0.89 and F values of 20.2936 and 17.3521. For BBD, deviations are 13.49 for thermal conductivity and 22.47 for thermal expansion, with R2 values of 0.9756 and 0.9768, and F values of 66.5 and 70.1. For Optimal-I, deviations are 12.67 for thermal conductivity and 22.56 for thermal expansion, with R2 values of 0.9937 and 0.9793, and F values of 87.38 and 63.02.
Performance analysis of hybrid PV/T systems: Exploring synergistic effects of aluminium, copper, and pristine graphene as high-thermal-conductivity materials VK Baskaran, A Chidambaram, GB Balachandran Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 62, 103598 , 2025 2025 Citations: 9
10E analysis and certain investigation on the performance of high-thermal-conductivity material in PV/T system: an experimental approach GB Balachandran, VK Baskaran, A Chidambaram, PW David Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 150 (3), 1509-1532 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Experimental investigations on the comparison of multi-objective design for high thermal energy applications: an insight into response surface methodology G Babu Balachandran, VK Baskaran, H Thangaraj, P Winston David Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects 46 … , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Exergy and energy analysis on the performance of high thermal conductivity material in PV/T system: an experimental approach GB Balachandran, VK Baskaran, A Chidambaram, PW David Energy 311, 133358 , 2024 2024 Citations: 8
Modelling and optimisation of thermal expansion and thermal conductivity using face-centred central composite design-based response surface methodology: An experimental approach GB Balachandran, VK Baskaran, H Thangaraj, PW David Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of … , 2024 2024 Citations: 3
Study on photovoltaic/thermal application for water desalination and electricity power generation using high thermal conducting materials GB Balachandran, VK Baskaran, PW David Applied Thermal Engineering 249, 123435 , 2024 2024 Citations: 12
Optimizing solar still performance: a response surface methodology approach to evaporation and condensation enhancement S Ravindran, GB Balachandran, H Thangaraj, VK Baskaran Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of … , 2024 2024 Citations: 7
Investigation on the performance enhancement of single-slope solar still using green fibre insulation derived from Artocarpus heterophyllus rags reinforced with Azadirachta … GB Balachandran, PW David, V Radhakrishnan, MNA Ali, VK Baskaran, ... Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 (25), 32879-32890 , 2021 2021 Citations: 24
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Investigation on the performance enhancement of single-slope solar still using green fibre insulation derived from Artocarpus heterophyllus rags reinforced with Azadirachta … GB Balachandran, PW David, V Radhakrishnan, MNA Ali, VK Baskaran, ... Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 (25), 32879-32890 , 2021 2021 Citations: 24
Study on photovoltaic/thermal application for water desalination and electricity power generation using high thermal conducting materials GB Balachandran, VK Baskaran, PW David Applied Thermal Engineering 249, 123435 , 2024 2024 Citations: 12
Performance analysis of hybrid PV/T systems: Exploring synergistic effects of aluminium, copper, and pristine graphene as high-thermal-conductivity materials VK Baskaran, A Chidambaram, GB Balachandran Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 62, 103598 , 2025 2025 Citations: 9
Exergy and energy analysis on the performance of high thermal conductivity material in PV/T system: an experimental approach GB Balachandran, VK Baskaran, A Chidambaram, PW David Energy 311, 133358 , 2024 2024 Citations: 8
Optimizing solar still performance: a response surface methodology approach to evaporation and condensation enhancement S Ravindran, GB Balachandran, H Thangaraj, VK Baskaran Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of … , 2024 2024 Citations: 7
Modelling and optimisation of thermal expansion and thermal conductivity using face-centred central composite design-based response surface methodology: An experimental approach GB Balachandran, VK Baskaran, H Thangaraj, PW David Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of … , 2024 2024 Citations: 3
10E analysis and certain investigation on the performance of high-thermal-conductivity material in PV/T system: an experimental approach GB Balachandran, VK Baskaran, A Chidambaram, PW David Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 150 (3), 1509-1532 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Experimental investigations on the comparison of multi-objective design for high thermal energy applications: an insight into response surface methodology G Babu Balachandran, VK Baskaran, H Thangaraj, P Winston David Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects 46 … , 2024 2024 Citations: 2