Date of Award

9-27-2018

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.Sc.

Department

Mechanical, Automotive, and Materials Engineering

Keywords

Cabin, Fuel Economy, Heat Transfer, Interior, Thermal Comfort

Supervisor

Sobiesiak, Andrzej

Supervisor

El-sharkawy, Alaa

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

The passenger compartment of a vehicle parked directly under the sun in the summer can reach uncomfortably high temperatures. Solar radiation may affect the durability of surfaces such as a dashboards and leather seats. Extended exposure to high temperature reduces the lifespan of some electronics in the instrument panel. VOCs, Volatile organic compounds, also increase due to high temperatures in the vehicle cabin leading to poor air quality. When the driver and passengers enter the vehicle and turn on the AC system, there is a duration of time wherein there is thermal discomfort. The duration depends on how fast the AC system is able to extract the heat from the cabin and transfer it to the outside. In addition, the amount of heat which is entrapped in the passenger compartment affects the amount of work the AC system has to perform to remove the heat from the compartment. In return, this has a significant effect on fuel consumption. A transient energy balance model is developed to perform thermal analysis for various thermal inputs. This model is able to provide the temperature distribution and energy accumulation for surfaces inside the cabin. The primary objective of this research is to optimize factors like glass types, roof insulation, materials, thicknesses, underbody heat insulation, and exterior and interior colours using DFSS–Design for Six Sigma. The optimization of these parameters will reduce the load on the AC system while also improving component durability, air quality, and thermal comfort.

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