

A parametric study will be used to change the window configuration by manipulating a dimension. A goal will be set for the force on the driver's head and another for the bulk ambient temperature of the fluid volume inside the vehicle. To simulate a wind tunnel-like environment, I will set the ambient fluid velocity to the desired vehicle speed. Since I want to know the time it takes to cool down the cab of the car, I must run a time-dependent study. These questions are going to drive certain settings and properties of the study. an I figure out the ideal window configuration to keep the air circulating through the vehicle to reduce the internal temperature without applying an uncomfortable wind load to the driver?.What is the wind force on the driver’s head?.How long does it take to cool the car down to a stable temperature with the windows open traveling at 100km/hr?.The questions I want to answer in the simulation include: Before jumping headfirst into the software, there were a few key questions I wanted to be answered and those questions drove the setup of the study itself. With the appropriate box checked, a new file is created from the vacant space inside the model. Using a configuration of the car with closed windows, I used the check tool to create a solid body of the internal volume of the car to be used in the pre and post-processing of the simulation. You can create a solid body of the fluid volume and use that to generate a custom mesh, set initial fluid conditions in that volume, and create a target goal. This check tool also has another great feature. After making the appropriate modifications to the model, the check tool can be used to verify if the model is usable in flow simulation.

In my model, I had to close off the small vents in the front of the car and some internal cavities. This meant removing any minute details and ensuring the SOLIDWORKS model was watertight. To start, I had to prepare the model for flow simulation. In SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation, I am going to run a parametric simulation where the windows are open different amounts to see which configuration will cool the car off the fastest while not being uncomfortable for the driver. SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation is a computational fluid dynamics tool that can be added into your SOLIDWORKS environment, and can calculate product performance. I have decided to use SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation to put my window configuration hypothesis to the test. Driving a car without air conditioning in the hot summer months has led me to test many window configurations to maintain a cool internal temperature without getting windburn on your face. They are fun to admire, drive and work on, but sometimes they lack the comfort of modern cars. I have always had a fascination with classic cars.
