Thermal comfort in cabs: a technical challenge and a marketing tool

摘要

The penetration of air conditioning Systems in the EU market is increasing with an exponential trend (fig. 1) that allows to forecast the attainment in few years of the US or Japan level - where 90 % of the vehicle are equipped with an HVAC (heating, ventilation air-conditioning) system. This growth is due to an increasing demand from customers for a better comfort. Moreover climate control in many cases also reduces the driver stress and avoids the fogging phenomenon contributing to safety aspects. The purpose of an HVAC system in a car is to create and maintain a comfortable thermal environment for all passengers, even in extreme climate conditions, and to guarantee good visibility, providing an effective defrosting and defogging.