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Development and validation of a dynamic thermal model of a minibus using TRNSYS

Abstract:

The current paper presents a dynamic thermal model of a vehicle including two thermal zones, one for the front region (driver) and one for the back (passengers). The model, developed in TRNSYS, is able to predict the cabin's thermal behaviour under variable ambient temperatures and solar radiation. A minibus was used to validate the model using experimental data for ambient temperature, solar radiation and the indoor temperature of a minibus parked both inside and outside a garage in Torino (Italy). The proposed model accurately reproduces the warm-up and cool-down of the cabin. In addition, the model has been used to calculate the cooling load of the cabin during a summer day, and to quantify the thermal loads under variable ambient conditions. In future work, the model will be used to predict the dynamic performance of the A/C system in an urban driving cycle and to optimise the compressor control strategy.