Journal of Nuclear Engineering & Technology

ISSN: 2277-6184 (Online), ISSN: 2321-6514 (Print)

Volume 10, Issue 3
www.stmjournals.com

Human Comfort inside the Vehicle by Using Internal

Cooling Materials
Swanand Kirpekar1,*, Padmayya Naik2, Shubham Jadhav3, Mayur Ahire4,
Swapnil Shirsath5, Shantanu Bansode6
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Automobile Engineering, Dhole Patil College of Engineering,
Pune, Maharashtra, India
2
Professor, Department of Automobile Engineering, Anjuman Institute of Technology and
Management, Bhatkal, Karnataka, India
3–6
Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dhole Patil College of Engineering, Pune,
Maharashtra, India

Abstract
Human comfort is the most important aspect of the vehicle. Due to harsh sunlight and many
other climatic conditions the human comfort level is breached. This breaching in the comfort
level results in the abnormal physical conditions of the human. The occupants may feel
uncomfortable which may cause unpleasant ride and journey. The most common problem
encountered under this condition is the overheating of the vehicle -cabin due to parking in the
sunlight. The internal cabin temperature could rise up to 70-75°C in just one hour. This
temperature goes on increasing and can reach up to 80°C. This condition occurs as the vehicle
standing in the sunlight absorbs the heat and stores it inside the close vehicle cabin. The heat
mainly increases due to the various heat transfer modes of convection, conduction and
radiation. Thus the overall heat transfer rate is increased which results in increase in
temperature. If the occupants enter the vehicle in such a condition then they feel extreme level
of suffocation and uncomfortableness. In summer conditions the conditions inside the vehicle
are even worse. So it is very important to be concerned about the thermal comfort of the
occupants and control the temperature such that it provides the desirable comfort to the
occupants. The heat transfer rate must be initially controlled in order to control the
temperature. The insertion of the internal cooling materials is the main idea. The cooling
materials are inserted within the various pre calculated hotspots in the vehicle and the heat
transfer inside the vehicle is controlled. This cooling materials possess various different
properties in relation to the temperature control. The paper thus focuses on the temperature
control inside the vehicle cabin by insertion of the cooling materials and thereby achieving the
human comfort.

Keywords: phase change materials, thermoelectric material, thermal comfort, vehicle cabin.

*Author for Correspondence E-mail: kirpekarss@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION seat materials absorb some heat transferred

There are various body parts like roof, door
panels, front and rear glass, window glass etc.
on which direct sun load will act and due to this
more sun heat is going to transfer inside the
vehicle, As shown in Figure 1 the heat is
transfer inside vehicle through roof, door panel
material by conduction and through glass
material by radiation. The inside body parts and
their materials also plays important role to
increase inside temperature. As dashboard and
through roof, window and glass materials and
remaining heat is emitted through radiation to
in inside air and in air convection is takes place
which helps to increase the temperature inside
the vehicle cabin. The inside temperature is
increases beyond the thermal comfort level of
human being and it rises up to 80°-85°C after
few hours of parking. It is impossible to bring
down this temperature up to comfort level
within a short time.

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Thermal Comfort inside the Vehicle by Using Internal Cooling Materials
Fig. 1: Modes of Heat Transfer.
To control this temperature generally, everyone
uses the two options first to start the air
condition or second to open all windows. If we
use the air conditioning system to control this
temperature it takes more time to reach the
comfortable temperature and it increases the
load on the engine system. If the temperature is
controlled by opening all windows then it also
takes more time to reach the comfortable
temperature. It depends on the outside
temperature if outside temperature is more than
it is not possible to reach the comfortable
temperature by opening the window [1].
With the help of preliminary heat transfer
analysis, the percentage of heat dissipated
inside the vehicle can be determined. The heat
transfer analysis involves conduction,
convection, and radiation from the roof and
glass to the vehicle interior and to the outside
air. About 80% of the temperature inside the
vehicle cabin compartment rises in initial 30
minutes. The fuel economy can be improved by
controlling the climatic loads in the vehicle [2].
With ref to 01 if the children's are left inside the
vehicle are died due to heat stroke. In the US
from 1998 to 2002, 29 children's are died due to
heat stroke. In 2003, 42 children's have died and
in 2004, 35 have died. Every year many
children’s are suffering from heat illness due to
left in car.
The combined application of the analytical,
numerical and experimental study of passenger
JoNET (2020) 52-58 © STM Journals 2020. All Rights Reserved
Kirpekar et al.
compartments of an automobile is important to
improve thermal comfort of the passenger. In
the United States, annually millions litter of
fuel are used to maintain the temperature in
passenger compartment [3]. To control this
temperature some internal cooling materials
like phase change materials, thermoelectric
materials, and organic dye cell materials to be
used in the vehicle.
THEORY
The sunlight enters the vehicles in the three
possible modes of heat transfers. As discussed
earlier they are conduction, convection and
radiation. For this there are several materials
currently used to control the heat inside the
vehicle cabin. The vehicles are parked in
sunlight and are covered with the heat resisting
material cover. A reflecting material is placed
at the windshield as shown below in the Figure
2. The sun light is seen bouncing off the
reflective surfaces when it falls on it and
prevents it from getting through into the vehicle
cabin. Many materials such as aluminum are
used to reflect the sunlight form the
windscreen. The materials like reflectix and
infrastop also serve the same purpose. The
vehicle cabin is kept cooler by the highly
reflective material such as ‘Reflectix’. The
reflectix consists of a shiny surface at one side
which reflects the sun rays. The material is
positioned such that the shiny surface of the
material faces towards the sun. This material is
placed at the windshield and the windows of the
vehicle cabin. Due to the shiny surface the
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Journal of Nuclear Engineering & Technology
Volume 10, Issue 3
ISSN: 2277-6184 (Online), ISSN: 2321-6514 (Print)
Fig. 2: Reflectix Material used for Vehicle.
sunlight bounces off and direct heat does not
enter the vehicle cabin. On the other hand in
winter the shiny surface is turned in so that the
warmth is maintained inside the vehicle cabin.
The same principle is thus used in winter as
well.
In the vehicle the heat can be transferred
through three possible sources viz. conduction,
convection and radiation. Due to the combined
action of the sources, the heat inside the vehicle
increases very rapidly.
Conduction
Conduction is one of the sources of heat transfer
in the vehicle cabin. Conduction takes place
when the heat is transferred through an object.
Whenever a long metal rod is heated at one end,
it gradually travels at the other end and it feels
hot at the other end. This occurs due to
JoNET (2020) 52-58 © STM Journals 2020. All Rights Reserved
conduction. The metal frame of the vehicle is a
good conductor of heat, thus allow maximum
conduction to take place. Thus if the vehicle is
standing in direct sunlight it will be heated up
in very less amount of time. While the inside
metal also heats up due to heat transfer from the
outside walls of the frame to the inside walls.
This similar condition will result in cold
weather. If we hold a bucket full of ice it will
take up the heat from the hand, also if we hold
a bucket full of foam, the heat is not drawn and
it stays in the hand. The rate of conduction is
different for different materials. Porous
materials have the least amount of conduction
as air passes through which also has less rate of
conduction.
Convection
Convection is another source for the heat to
enter the vehicle cabin. Convection is the heat
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Thermal Comfort inside the Vehicle by Using Internal Cooling Materials
transferred through the natural movement of
liquids and gases. This occurs due to difference
in temperature and densities of the various
gases and liquids. The warm air rises and can
be lost through the roofs of a vehicle in the
winters. This occurs due to improper insulation
to the roofs. The proper insulation of the roofs
and floors of the vehicle is very crucial as the
heat can be easily lost during hot and colder
environments wherever the insulation is
tampered. Convection can be natural and
forced. When the temperature currents occur
due to density and temperature difference
between two Medias then it is natural
convection. If the same is triggered by any
external means then the convection is called
forced convection. The vehicle has a natural
convection. Due to the difference in
temperature and air densities of the air inside
and outside the vehicle cabin the natural
convection takes place.
Radiation
It is the most common source of heat transfer in
case of the vehicle. It is the transfer of heat
between two areas without any contact with the
heat source. Due to the transparent windows and
windshield the direct sun radiation enters into the
vehicle parked in sunlight. The maximum
amount of heat entered into the vehicle is
through radiation. So it is regarded as the prime
and most important source of heat transfer in the
vehicle. However this heat can be diverted by the
use of reflective surfaces as discussed above.
The heat enters inside the vehicle and is
accumulated due to a finite area of the cabin.
This does not allow the heat to dissipate and thus
the temperature rises very rapidly.
HEAT TRANSFER ANALYSIS FOR
DIFFERENT CITIES
The heat transfer data for the five hottest cities
in India is noted. The rise in temperature of the
vehicle cabin for these cities in the specific time
is also recorded. The increase in temperature is
recorded for 10, 20, 30 and 40 minutes. The rise
in temperature is then plotted on the
temperature VS time graph. The cities are
selected according to the average ambient
temperature in the city over a period of 12
months. The cities selected are Pune, Mumbai,
Jaipur, Delhi and Nagpur. These cities have
recorded the maximum temperature in India
JoNET (2020) 52-58 © STM Journals 2020. All Rights Reserved
Kirpekar et al.
with average ambient temperature ranging from
33-37°C. The graph are as follows:
The above graph shows the rise in temperature
in the vehicle cabin for the span of 40 minutes
when in standalone condition. The data is
recorded for the five cities in India. As seen in
the given Figure 3, the temperature steeply rises
as the time goes on increasing. This
temperature is uncontrollable when the vehicle
is parked in the sunlight. However this can be
controlled by use of certain materials which is
discussed in the paper [4].
INTERNAL COOLING MATERIAL
The internal cooling material are the best option
to control the temperature inside the vehicle
cabin. The various categories in the internal
cooling material are Phase change material
(PCM) and thermoelectric materials. Let’s
discuss these in detail:
Phase Change Material
The idea to use phase change materials (PCM)
for the purpose of storing thermal energy is to
make use of the latent heat of a phase change,
usually between the solid and the liquid state
shown in the Figure 4. Since a phase change
involves a large amount of latent energy at
small temperature changes, PCMs are used for
temperature stabilization and for storing heat
with large energy densities in combination with
rather small temperature changes. The
successful usage of PCMs is on one hand a
question of a high energy storage density, but
on the other hand it is very important to be able
to charge and discharge the energy storage with
a thermal power, that is suitable for the desired
application. The material is inserted at the roof,
door panels and other significant spots in the
vehicle where potential of entry of the heat is
the most. Thus the energy can be absorbed and
released according to the temperature
conditions of the vehicle cabin. The most
significant reason of choosing the PCM for the
vehicle application is the characteristics of the
materials. The various characteristics include:
• Suitable melting temperature
• High melting enthalpy per volume unit [kJ/m³]
• High specific heat [kJ/ (kg.K)]
• Low volume change due to the phase change
• High thermal conductivity
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Journal of Nuclear Engineering & Technology
Volume 10, Issue 3
ISSN: 2277-6184 (Online), ISSN: 2321-6514 (Print)

Pune Nagpur
120 112 120 114

100 100
77 78

Time (min)
80 80
Time (min)

60 51 60 52

33 40 34
40 25
25
20 20

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Increase in Cabin Temperature Increase in Cabin Temperature

Jaipur Mumbai
120 113 120 112

100 100
78 77
80 80
Time (min)

Time (Min)

60 51 60 51

40 34 40 34
25 25
20 20

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Increase in Cabin Temperature Increase in Cabin Temperature

Delhi
120 114

100
79
80

60 52
Time

40 34
25
20

0
0 10 20 30 40
Increase in Cabin Temperature
Fig. 3: Rise in Cabin Temperature for 5 Cities in India.

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Thermal Comfort inside the Vehicle by Using Internal Cooling Materials
Fig. 4: Phase Change Material Working Principle.
• Cycling stability
• Not flammable, not poisonous
• Not corrosive
The most important characteristic is the thermal
conductivity. The blend of various phase
change material enables a higher level of
thermal conductivity which can be utilized for
the application in the vehicles. Another
important necessity of the PCM is the storage
of large amount of energy in a relatively smaller
space.
The PCM’s are divided into various types
according to their capacities and characteristics.
Paraffins have an excellent stability concerning
the thermal cycling, i.e. a very high number of
phase changes can be performed without a
change of the material’s characteristics. On the
other hand they are flammable and their melting
enthalpy and density is relatively low compared
to salt hydrates. The problem with salt hydrates
is their corrosiveness and the cycling stability,
which can often only be guaranteed if certain
conditions are met. Another disadvantage of
salt hydrates is the so called sub cooling. That
means that the material does not crystallize at
the melting temperature but at a temperature
that can be much lower. The sub cooling can be
reduced by adding so called nucleators into the
material [5].
Thermoelectric Material
The thermoelectric materials is the other
category of material that can be used in the
vehicle cabin cooling application. The material
works on the three different principles of
JoNET (2020) 52-58 © STM Journals 2020. All Rights Reserved
Kirpekar et al.
Seeback effect, Peltier effect and Thomson
effect. The thermoelectric effect refers to
phenomena by which either a temperature
difference creates an electric potential or an
electric potential creates a temperature
difference. The thermoelectric material
incorporates the transfer of the energy through
the lattice vibrations and then the energy is
converted into electrical energy and then
utilized in various operations on the vehicle.
The material is installed at the various entry
points of the heat inside the vehicle such as
roofs, door panels and windshield where due to
temperature difference is created and the
energy transfer takes place. Due to the lattice
vibration the energy is transferred and
converted into the electrical energy.
Thermoelectric material have a lower thermal
conductivity than the phase change material but
has extremely high electric conductivity [6].
APPLICATION OF COOLING
MATERIAL IN VEHICLE CABIN
The application of the cooling materials in the
vehicle cabin is depend upon the characteristics
of the material to be used. Thus taking this into
consideration, PCM are ideal for the purpose.
They possess high thermal conductivity and
high density which enables it to store large
amount of energy. Also in the winter season, the
energy must be released in order to heat up the
cabin. This function is also effectively
performed by the PCM. For application of the
material, the prime spots are to be selected in
the driver cabin which allow the entry of the
heat inside the cabin. These spots include the
roof, windows, door panels and windshield.
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Thermal Comfort inside the Vehicle by Using Internal Cooling Materials
The maximum amount of direct radiation
comes in from the roof, hence the material in
the form of layer can be placed in between the
outer roof and the inner covering of the cabin
which could absorb and release the energy as
per the temperature demands. The door panel is
another potential entry source, the material in
the form of layer or packets can be inserted
within the door panel body section which can
thus perform the function [7, 8]. The windshield
and windows can be protected from sunlight by
using the high silicon fibre glass which does not
allow the entry of the direct sunlight into the
vehicle cabin. Thus the proper material
insertion can ensure the proper control over the
temperature inside the vehicle cabin.
CONCLUSION
As we know that the human comfort is
hampered by the direct sunlight coming in the
vehicle cabin when the vehicle is parked in
sunlight. The temperature of the vehicle cabin
is maintained in between 25-30°C which is
universally considered as the human thermal
comfort. This human comfort condition is
achieved by the application of such internal
cooling materials such as phase change
material, thermoelectric materials etc. The
application of these materials is also very handy
and the material can be replaceable when
expired. It can be carried according to the
maintenance schedule. The application of the
internal cooling material also ensures good
thermal and fuel economy of the engine as it
works off the excess load coming on the HVAC
system. The HVAC system comes under
extreme load when it is switched ON when the
vehicle is started after a prolonged period of
parking in sunlight, which affects the system
badly. Thus application of the internal cooling
material can save the system and engine from
excess load and provide enhanced efficiency.
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Cite this Article
Swanand Kirpekar, Padmayya Naik,
Shubham Jadhav, Mayur Ahire, Swapnil
Shirsath, Shantanu Bansode. Human
Comfort inside the Vehicle by Using
Internal Cooling Materials. Journal of
Nuclear Engineering & Technology. 2020;
10(3): 52–58p.
Page 58