Aspects of Cabin Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer, and Thermal Comfort in Vehicle Thermal Management Simulations

J. K. Wolfahrt; W. B. Baier; B. Wiesler; A. Raulot; J. P. Rugh; D. Bharathan; C. Kußmann

doi:10.4271/2005-01-2000

2005-05-10

Aspects of Cabin Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer, and Thermal Comfort in Vehicle Thermal Management Simulations 2005-01-2000

Automobile manufacturers and suppliers are under pressure to develop more efficient thermal management systems as fuel consumption and emission regulations become stricter and buyers demand greater comfort and safety. Additionally, engines must be very efficient and windows must deice and defog quickly. These requirements are often in conflict. Moreover, package styling and cost constraints severely limit the design of coolant and air conditioning systems.

Simulation-based design and virtual prototyping can ensure greater product performance and quality at reduced development time and cost. The representation of the vehicle thermal management needs a scalable approach with 0-D, 1-D, and 3-D fluid dynamics, multi-body dynamics, 3-D structural analysis, and control unit simulation capabilities. Different combinations and complexities of the simulation tools are required for various phases of the product development process.

This paper outlines the integration of 3-D vehicle thermal management simulation tools for passenger compartments and highlights crucial aspects of fluid dynamics, heat transfer, deicing, and thermal comfort. Careful and detailed modeling of these processes is compared to simplified approaches and considers the accuracy of the entire thermal management simulation. The theoretical considerations are complemented by practically oriented examples.

New strategies enable components, which are relevant for deicing and comfort, to be optimized in an acceptable time frame. This reduces the use of prototypes and saves time and money.

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Aspects of Cabin Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer, and Thermal Comfort in Vehicle Thermal Management Simulations 2005-01-2000

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