Title: Evaluation of windshield defogging process in an automobile

Authors: Mustafa Mutlu; Gökhan Sevilgen; Muhsin Kiliç

Addresses: Faculty of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department, Uludağ University, 16059/Görükle Campus, Bursa, Turkey ' Faculty of Engineering, Automotive Engineering Department, Uludağ University, 16059/Görükle Campus, Bursa, Turkey ' Faculty of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department, Uludağ University, 16059/Görükle Campus, Bursa, Turkey

Abstract: The defogging process on a windshield is one of the important concerns in the automotive industry for driver safety and certification. Therefore, the simulation of the windshield defogging process provides a very effective and useful tool for the designers to obtain a more efficient and rapid defogging process. In this paper, an experimental and numerical study is presented for the windshield defogging process of an automobile. A computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) tool was used to perform the relevant three dimensional (3-D) transient simulations. Both droplet and wall film models are employed for comparison of the demisted area on a windshield in the numerical calculations. The 3-D fluid flow, temperature distribution and heat transfer characteristics of the interior surfaces of the automobile cabin are also considered. It is shown that the results of the simulations are in a good agreement with the experimental data presented in this study.

Keywords: windshield defogging; windscreen defogging; computational fluid dynamics; CFD; droplet modelling; wall film models; automotive windshields; automobile industry; automotive windscreens; simulation; demisting; 3-D fluid flow; temperature distribution; heat transfer.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2016.078770

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2016 Vol.71 No.1/2/3/4, pp.103 - 121

Received: 21 Nov 2014
Accepted: 23 Sep 2015

Published online: 02 Sep 2016 *

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