Design of Experiment Analysis of Thermal Variables that Affect Automotive Lighting CFD Temperatures

CAE tools are utilized within the automotive lighting industry to develop thermal models and thus predict temperature distributions for various lamp components. The ultimate goal of developing CAE models is to accurately predict temperatures for lamp systems at early stages in the design process. A major factor in developing a reliable CAE model is the accurate estimation of thermal parameters such as the convection coefficient. This study investigates the effects of six thermal parameters on automotive lamp temperature. A 2-level design of experimentations (DOE) methodology is utilized to determine the significance level of each parameter on the temperature change of the lens and the housing. A first-order linear response function is generated, using the most significant factors with a confidence level of 95%.

It is found that a small alteration in the convection coefficient can change the hot spot temperature prediction of the lens and the reflector by 32% and 25%, respectively.