Analysis of Earth-Moving Machinery Cabin Windshield Defrosting Performance with Computational Fluid Dynamics Method and Verification by Testing

Abstract

Driver and passenger safety and thermal comfort are seen as the most important parameters in the development of earth-moving machinery cabin air conditioning systems. The formation of a layer of ice and fog on the windshield restricts the driver's field of vision and distracts driving attention. For this reason, the earth-moving machinery air conditioning system has an important place. The ability of the defrosting and defogging system is measured by how quickly and effectively the ice layer formed on the glass is dissolved and to what extent the mist formed inside the glass is cleared. In this study, three-dimensional air conditioning numerical analysis was carried out using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method in order to remove ice formed on the windshield of the earth-moving machinery cabin. The earth-moving machinery cabin was used as a mathematical model. Boundary and initial conditions were chosen to be the same as the test data to ensure appropriate validation. By solving the numerical analysis energy equation, time-dependent temperature distribution and defrosting time in the windshield area were analysed. Validation was provided by comparing the results with test data. As a result of the analysis, it was understood that the windshield defrosting time, which is of vital importance for driving safety due to visibility restrictions, especially in regions with cold climates, can be optimized by analysing it with numerical analyses.