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Journals / Politeknik Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 29 Sayı: 5

Modelling a Solar-Assisted Air Conditioning System for Automobiles Parked Under Sunlight During Office Hours

Mesai Saatlerinde Güneş Altında Park Eden Otomobiller İçin Güneş Destekli Klima Sisteminin Modellenmesi

Muyideen Olalekan Lawal(Osun State University)0000-0001-8705-0569
Olajide Michael(Osun State university)0009-0005-1213-4131
Emmanuel Umoh(Transmission company of Nigeria)0009-0005-6290-7112
Sarafa Rasheed(Adeleke University)0009-0009-9290-5619
Pages
1–20
Publication Date
2026-09-21
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Simulation results indicate estimated runtimes of 2.63 h (sedan), 2.42 h (minivan), and 2.10 h (SUV and van).

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:For workers in tropical regions, vehicles parked under direct sunlight during office hours develop extremely hot cabin conditions, necessitating the use of air conditioning (A/C) prior to the commute home and resulting in increased fuel consumption or reduced electric vehicle range.
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Key Findings & Data:Under typical workday parking conditions with 4.5 peak sun hours, representing an upper-bound scenario for Southwest Nigeria, the PV array charged the auxiliary battery from 20% to 98–99% state of charge, yielding 1,944–2,916 Wh of usable energy.
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Conclusion & Impact:Simulation results indicate estimated runtimes of 2.63 h (sedan), 2.42 h (minivan), and 2.10 h (SUV and van).
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Batarya · Soğutma · Enerji

Abstract

For workers in tropical regions, vehicles parked under direct sunlight during office hours develop extremely hot cabin conditions, necessitating the use of air conditioning (A/C) prior to the commute home and resulting in increased fuel consumption or reduced electric vehicle range. This study investigates whether a retrofitted solar-powered auxiliary energy storage unit can harvest sufficient energy during a workday to sustain A/C operation throughout the post-work commute. A MATLAB/Simulink model integrating photovoltaic harvesting, MPPT, DC-DC conversion, LiFePO₄ battery storage, and transient A/C load dynamics was developed for sedan, SUV, minivan, and van categories. Under typical workday parking conditions with 4.5 peak sun hours, representing an upper-bound scenario for Southwest Nigeria, the PV array charged the auxiliary battery from 20% to 98–99% state of charge, yielding 1,944–2,916 Wh of usable energy. Simulation results indicate estimated runtimes of 2.63 h (sedan), 2.42 h (minivan), and 2.10 h (SUV and van). These results suggest that a solar-assisted auxiliary system may sustain cabin cooling independently of the engine or primary traction battery, with performance depending on commute duration, prevailing solar irradiance, ambient temperature, and compressor efficiency.

Özet

Tropikal bölgelerde çalışan kişiler için, mesai saatleri boyunca doğrudan güneş ışığı altında park edilen araçların kabin sıcaklığı aşırı derecede yükselmekte, bu durum eve dönüş yolculuğu öncesinde klimanın (A/C) kullanılmasını zorunlu hale getirmekte ve yakıt tüketiminin artmasına veya elektrikli araç menzilinin azalmasına neden olmaktadır. Bu çalışma, sonradan takılan güneş enerjili bir yardımcı enerji depolama ünitesinin bir iş günü boyunca, iş çıkışı yolculuğu süresince klima operasyonunu sürdürmek için yeterli enerjiyi toplayıp toplayamayacağını araştırmaktadır. Fotovoltaik enerji hasadı, MPPT, DA-DA dönüşümü, LiFePO₄ batarya depolama ve geçici A/C yük dinamiğini entegre eden bir MATLAB/Simulink modeli, sedan, SUV, minivan ve van kategorileri için geliştirilmiştir. Güneybatı Nijerya için bir üst sınır senaryosunu temsil eden 4,5 tepe güneş saati ile tipik bir iş günü park koşulu altında, PV dizisi yardımcı bataryayı %20 doluluk oranından %98-99 seviyesine şarj ederek 1.944-2.916 Wh kullanılabilir enerji elde etmiştir. Simülasyon sonuçları, tahmini çalışma sürelerini sedan için 2,63 saat, minivan için 2,42 saat ve SUV ile van için 2,10 saat olarak göstermektedir. Bu sonuçlar, güneş destekli bir yardımcı sistemin, performansı yolculuk süresine, mevcut güneş ışınımına, ortam sıcaklığına ve kompresör verimliliğine bağlı olmak kaydıyla, motor veya ana tahrik bataryasından bağımsız olarak kabin soğutmasını sürdürebileceğini göstermektedir.

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Cite This Article

Lawal, M. O., Michael, O., Umoh, E., Rasheed, S. (2026). Modelling a Solar-Assisted Air Conditioning System for Automobiles Parked Under Sunlight During Office Hours. Politeknik Dergisi, Cilt: 29 Sayı: 5, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.2339/politeknik.1854132

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