ANSYS – Car Rear Window

Type of Problem: Thermal-Electrical

Type of Analysis: Static and Transient
A heating wire is embedded into the glass of the rear window of a car. The position of the heating
wire and of the supply line is shown on the sketch on page 2.

The two solutions we will determine are:

Determine the maximum temperature change due to the heating wire.

Determine the rate of change of temperature against time.

Last Updated: 10/01/10

www.RobertMarkoski.net/Engineering Page 1
ANSYS – Car Rear Window

100 Heating Line

6 x 50

100 Supply Line

100 100 1100 100

All Dimensions are in mm

Data:
Rear Window
Overall Dimension 1400mm x 500mm
Glass Thickness 3mm
Thermal Conductivity 0.72 W/(mK)
Specific Heat 120 J/(kgK)
Density 2200 kg/m3
Temperature of air -8 C
Film Coefficient 10W/(m2K)

Line
Supply Line Cross Sectional Area 5mm2
Heating Line Cross Sectional Area 0.1mm2
Voltage Output 6V
Voltage Input 12V
Material Copper

Copper Properties
Specific Resistivity 0.15 Om2/m
Thermal Conductivity 380 W/(mK)
Specific Heat 120J / (kgK)
Density 6500 kg/m3

Last Updated: 10/01/10

www.RobertMarkoski.net/Engineering Page 2
ANSYS – Car Rear Window
Step by Step Solution
Define Job-Name:
Menu Bar > File > Change Job-Name > Rear-Window > OK

Define Type of Calculation (In this case coupled Thermal-Electrical Calculation):

Main Menu > Preferences > Check Thermal >Check Electric > OK

Select Element Types:

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete > Add >
Thermal Mass > Shell > 3D 4node 57 >Apply

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete > Add >
Coupled Field > 3D Line 68 OK Close

Last Updated: 10/01/10

www.RobertMarkoski.net/Engineering Page 3
ANSYS – Car Rear Window
Add Real Constants:
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Real Constants > Add/Edit/Delete > Add
Now add 3 Sets with the following data

Set Type Value

1 Type 1 Shell 57 0.003 (thickness of windshield)
2 Type 2 Link 68 5.0e-6 (cross section of wire 1)
3 Type 2 Link 68 0.1e-6 (cross section of wire 2)

Define Material Data:

Main > Preprocessor > Material Props > Material Models > Select Material
Model Number 1
For the Glass

Thermal > Conductivity > Isotropic KXX 0.72

Density DENS 2200
Specific Heat C 120

Select Material in the Define Material Model Behaviour Window and Select New Material

For the Wire

Thermal > Conductivity > Isotropic KXX 380

Density DENS 6500
Specific Heat C 120
Electromagnetics>Resistivity>Constant RSVX 0.15e-6
Material > Exit

Generate Geometry:
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modelling > Create > Areas >
Rectangle > By Dimensions:

Area 1: 0 1.4
0 0.5 ok

Last Updated: 10/01/10

www.RobertMarkoski.net/Engineering Page 4
ANSYS – Car Rear Window
Assign Element Type, Real Constant Set and Material Data to area:
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh Attributes > Picked Areas >
Select the Rectangle > OK

Area Attributes:
Material 1
Real Constant Set 1
Element Type 1
As Below:

Choose Element Size:

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Size Cntrls > Manual Size >
Global > Size > Set SIZE as 0.025 > OK

Last Updated: 10/01/10

www.RobertMarkoski.net/Engineering Page 5
ANSYS – Car Rear Window

Create Elements and Nodes on geometry:

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh > Areas > Mapped >
3 to 4 sided > Pick all

Generate Heating Wire:

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modelling > Create > Keypoints > On
Working Plane

Select the Keypoints that define the copper heating wire. We set previously each little cube as being
25mm. I.e 4 squares is 100mm. Press OK.

Menu Bar > Plot > Keypoints > Keypoints

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Create > Lines> Lines>Straight Line >Pick Key
points to draw wireframe.

IMPORTANT!: Make sure each line connects each keypoint. You should have a rainbow effect of
colors as in the pic below.

Last Updated: 10/01/10

www.RobertMarkoski.net/Engineering Page 6
ANSYS – Car Rear Window

Assign Element Type, Real Constant Set and Material Data to area:
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh Attributes > Picked Lines >
Pick all the Supply lines > OK

Area Attributes:
Material 2
Real Constant Set 2
Element Type 2
As Below:

Assign Element Type, Real Constant Set and Material Data to area:
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh Attributes > Picked Lines >
Pick all the Heating Lines > OK

Area Attributes:
Material 2
Real Constant Set 3
Element Type 2

Mesh Copper Wire:

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh > Lines

Pick ONLY the Supply and Heating Lines

Last Updated: 10/01/10

www.RobertMarkoski.net/Engineering Page 7
ANSYS – Car Rear Window
Couple Glass and Wire:
Main Menu > Preprocessor > NumberingCtrls > Merge Items > Nodes >
OK

Define Loads:
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply > Thermal
> Convection > On Areas > Select Window Area

Apply CONV on Areas:

VALI Film Coefficient 10
VAL2I Bulk Temperature -8

Menu Bar > plot > Lines

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply > Electric
> Boundary > Voltage > On Keypoints

Select Supply Line

Input Line 12V
Output Line 6V
Static Analysis
Main Menu > Solution > Analysis Type > New Analysis > Steady State
Main Menu > Solution > Solve > Current LS

Plot Results:
Main Menu > General Postproc > Plot Results > Contour Plot > Nodal Solution
> DOF Solution > Temperature

Last Updated: 10/01/10

www.RobertMarkoski.net/Engineering Page 8
ANSYS – Car Rear Window
Transient Analysis

Main Menu > Solution > Analysis Type > New Analysis > Transient
Main Menu > Solution > Load Step Opts > Output Ctrls > DB/Results File >
Every Substep > OK
Main Menu > Solution > Load Step Opts > Time/Frequency > Time and Substeps

TIME Time at end of load step 240

NSUBST Number of Substeps 20
KBC Stepped or ramped b.c. Stepped
AUTOTS Automatic Time Stepping OFF

Main Menu > Solution > Define Loads > Apply > Initial Conditions >
Define > Pick All Nodes > TEMP -8

Main Menu > Solution > Solve > Current LS

Main Menu > General Postproc > Read Results > First Set
Main Menu > General Postproc > Plot Results > Contour Plot > Nodal Solution
> DOF Solution > Temperature
Main Menu > General Postproc > Read Results > Next Set
Main Menu > TimeHist Postpro (Close window that pops u) > Define Variables > Add

Select Nodal DOF Results > Pick a node on the heating wire > Select temperature
TEMP
Pick a node between the heating wires
Select Temperature TEMP
Main Menu > TimeHistPostpro > Graph Variables > NVAR1 2 > NVAR2

Last Updated: 10/01/10

www.RobertMarkoski.net/Engineering Page 9