Vehicle cabin heat build-up analysis based on dimensional differences under direct sunlight parking
Keywords:
Cabin temperature, Vehicle dimensions, Solar heat gain, Thermal comfort, Carbon monoxide exposureAbstract
Prolonged parking of vehicles under direct sunlight leads to significant cabin heat build-up, reducing thermal comfort, accelerating interior material degradation, and increasing health risks associated with elevated temperatures. This study experimentally investigates the influence of vehicle dimensional differences on cabin temperature rise during outdoor parking under tropical conditions. Two passenger vehicles with contrasting cabin volumes the Toyota Avanza 1.3 G (2010) and Toyota Innova 2.0 G (2010) were exposed to direct sunlight for eight hours (08:20–16:20 WIB). Cabin temperatures were recorded using a multi-point measurement system consisting of four Type-K thermocouples connected to a data logger, while ambient temperature was monitored simultaneously. The results show that both vehicles experienced substantial cabin heat accumulation relative to ambient conditions, with the highest temperatures consistently observed in the front cabin region (dashboard and front-seat areas). The Avanza exhibited a higher average cabin temperature increase of 15.78 °C (45.25%) compared to 9.06 °C (24%) for the Innova, indicating faster heat accumulation in vehicles with smaller cabin volumes. These findings confirm that vehicle dimensional characteristics significantly influence passive cabin thermal behaviour during parking under direct sunlight. The study provides experimental evidence to support the consideration of cabin size, glazing characteristics, and interior layout in the development of effective thermal risk mitigation strategies for vehicles operating in tropical environments.
References
[1] Setiyo, M., Sudarmanta, B., & Fitriani, I. (2021). Cooling effect evaluation and heat index analysis on solar-powered cabin coolers in parked vehicles. Automotive Experiences, 4(3), 109–117. https://doi.org/10.31603/ae.v4i3.5331.
[2] Marshall, R., Evans, K., & Thomas, S. (2019). Vehicle cabin thermal management strategies for modern automotive systems. International Journal of Automotive Engineering, 10(4), 211–220. https://doi.org/10.20485/jsaeijae.10.4_211.
[3] Budi, R. (2021). Effect of window film tint percentage on thermal distribution and cabin illumination of vehicles. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 12(2), 45–52.
[4] Syofian, D., & Setiawan, Y. (2021). Health impacts of carbon monoxide exposure on motor vehicle drivers. Journal of Road Transport Safety, 9(2), 77–85.
[5] Purwanto, W. (2016). Analysis of toxic gas exposure inside vehicle environments. Journal of Environmental Health, 8(1), 55–63.
[6] Iskandar. (2014). Principles of heat transfer. Jakarta: Kencana.
[7] Utami, H. (2017). Fundamentals of heat transfer. Malang: Universitas Negeri Malang Press.
[8] Marshall, R., Evans, K., & Thomas, S. (2019). Vehicle cabin thermal management strategies for modern automotive systems. International Journal of Automotive Engineering, 10(4), 211–220.
[9] A. C. Yilmaz, E. Uludamar, and K. Aydin, “Effect of hydrogen addition on performance and exhaust emissions of a spark-ignition engine,” Energy, vol. 174, pp. 290–300, 2019.
Downloads
Published
Conference Proceedings Volume
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.