Vehicle Defroster Air Duct Layout for Uniform Windshield Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pure electric vehicles face challenges in defrosting and defogging due to insufficient waste heat, leading to non-uniform heating and reduced service life of heating devices, as well as un-even defrosting effects caused by non-uniform air speed and temperature distribution.
Innovation Solution
A defroster design featuring a housing with an air blower, heating device, and air duct with varying inlet and outlet areas, and guiding plates to ensure uniform air flow and temperature distribution, combined with a PTC electric heater sealed with waterproof glue for enhanced performance and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional air blower and heating device are used in pure electric vehicles, then defrosting function is provided, but non-uniform air speed causes non-uniform heating and reduced service life of heating device
Solution Approach 1:
The air duct is divided into multiple sections with different cross-sectional areas (first air duct portion with larger area, second air duct portion with smaller area). This segmentation allows the air flow to be progressively regulated, transforming the non-uniform air speed from the blower into a more uniform distribution at the heating device, thereby improving both heating uniformity and device reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-sectional area parameter of the air duct is deliberately changed along the flow direction. The air duct transitions from a larger cross-sectional area at the inlet to a smaller cross-sectional area at the outlet, which adjusts the air flow velocity and pressure distribution to achieve uniform air speed across the heating device surface
2Use of energy by moving object
If waste heat from tail gas or engine cooling is used for defrosting, then heating efficiency is improved, but pure electric vehicles lack sufficient waste heat when running
Solution Approach 1:
The defroster system is designed to be self-sufficient by using an electric heater that directly converts electrical energy to thermal energy. This eliminates dependence on waste heat from combustion engines, making the system adaptable to pure electric vehicles while maintaining effective defrosting capability through direct electrical heating
3Productivity
If non-uniform air speed is blown to heating device, then defrosting function is achieved, but temperature distribution becomes un-uniform causing undesired defrosting area
Solution Approach 1:
The air duct is segmented into portions with different cross-sectional areas to control air flow distribution. The first portion with larger area receives air from the blower, while the second portion with smaller area distributes air uniformly to the heating device, ensuring even temperature distribution across the entire defrosting area
Solution Approach 2:
The air duct acts as an intermediary component between the air blower and the heating device. It mediates the air flow by adjusting its cross-sectional area to transform the non-uniform output from the blower into uniform air distribution across the heating device, ensuring consistent temperature throughout the defrosting area
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides uniform defrosting across vehicle windshields, increases defrosting area, extends heating device service life, improves heat transfer, and ensures safety and energy efficiency, while being easy to manufacture and use.
Implementation Method 1
passes through the heating device to exchange heat with the heating device
Implementation Method 2
an air blower defining a blowing outlet and disposed in the housing... air blown out from the blower outlet enters the air duct
Data Source
AI summary
A defroster and a vehicle are provided. The defroster includes: a housing defining an air outlet; a heating device disposed in the housing; an air blower defining a blowing outlet and disposed in the housing; and an air duct defining a duct inlet and a duct outlet, the air duct being disposed between the blowing outlet and the heating device so that air blown out from the blower outlet enters the air duct via the duct inlet and goes out of the air duct via the duct outlet, then passes through the heating device to exchange heat with the heating device, and is discharged out of the housing via the air outlet, wherein an area of the duct inlet is different from that of the duct outlet.