Study on the Thermal Accumulation and Distribution Inside a Parked Car Cabin

Abstract

Problem statement: When a vehicle is parked under the direct sun, the accumulated heat is affecting many interiors inside the vehicle cabin, such as the vinyl materials of the dashboard, the leather covers and the electronic components. Also, it represents an uncomfortable operating period for the passengers. The studies under this topic are entitled by the vehicle manufacturers as "Vehicle Cabin Comfort". Approach: In the present study, experimental and numerical analyses were conducted. The experimental results were obtained from measurements on a salon car parked in unshaded area. Six different cases had been investigated consisting of full windows closing case, four different windows opening settings and sun shade usage case. The temperature at 12 different locations inside the car had been recorded for many days and the mean values are used as initial and boundary conditions to run the 3-D computational simulation. The CFD simulation was carried out by FLUENT software. Results: Both experimental and CFD simulation results revealed that the most hot air was accumulated in the top part of the cabin and natural circulation take place with large scale cavity due to natural heat transfer from the dashboard and the rear windshield. The drop down of the front side windows by 20 mm caused reduction in the front air gap by 20%. The sunshade on the front had considerably reduced the heat accumulation inside the cabin, where the dashboard surface temperature dropped by 26% and the maximum air temperature was found to be 27% lower. Conclusion: The use of the sunshade and/or dropdown windows on both sides reduced the heat accumulation due to fresh air exchange with the exterior environment.

Attaining the Room Comfort by Solar Reflective Paint

“…The CFD simulation was conducted using FLUENT software. The basic CFD model of a room as quoted from ASHRAE standard and the boundary and initial conditions are adopted from the experimental environment (Al-Kayiem et al, 2010). Table 2 shows the Properties of Solar Reflective Paint.…”

The Alternative Way to Drive the Automobile Air-Conditioning, Improve Performance, and Mitigate the High Temperature: A Literature Overview

“…When the car is parked in direct sunlight, the temperature in the car's cabin will increase up to 80 °C (Al-Kayiem et al, 2010). The highest temperature is recorded at the dashboard, which can reach up to 87.5°C (Jasni and Nasir, 2012).…”

“…In other locations of the test, the temperature inside a car can reach up to 62 °C at 01:00 pm (Basar et al, 2013). These conditions not only cause discomfort but also accelerate damage to the interior components (Al-Kayiem et al, 2010;Manning and Ewing, 2009). In addition, every year hundreds of children died and pain due to the extreme temperatures inside the vehicle (Mezrhab and Bouzidi, 2006).…”

Variation of Car Cabin Temperature Influenced by Ventilation under Direct Sun Exposure

“…Many researchers agree that the heat generated in a vehicle cabin can be increased to 80°C in the interior when it is parked indirect sunlight (Al-Kayiem, Sidik, & Munusammy, 2010). This experience causes an uncomfortable sensation in the driver in the first ten minutes after entering a vehicle that has been in the sun for a prolonged period of time (Grundstein, Dowd, & Meentemeyer, 2010).…”