Excerpt from the Proceedings of the 2006 Nordic COMSOL Conference

Automotive Headlamp - Analytic Solution and Measurements of

Condensation inside a Headlamp
Erik Preihs
General Motors Europe

Abstract: Increasing styling features for
automotive headlamps speed up the focus of
understanding condensation at inner surfaces.
Dew point higher than the inner surface
temperature can be a cosmetic problem since
transparent optical plastics are commonly used in
combination with a black background leading to
visibility of dew.
In this paper, a suggested analytical approach
of dew point analysis is brought forward. The
analytical solution is based on a temperature map
consisting of heat transfer, natural convection
and radiation. An empirical expression for
relative humidity is then implemented based on
the calculated temperature map. Further a
Magnus-Tetens formula for dew point is used for
the area inside the headlamp with temperatures
between 0° and 60° Celsius. The physical
foundation is to understand weather the
calculated inner surface temperature is lower
than the analytical dew point inside the volume.
Comparison between analytical results and
measured temperatures, relative humidity and
dew point calculated based on Magnus-Tetens
formula show realistic results.
Keywords: natural convection, heat transfer,
radiation, relative humidity, dew point,
1. Introduction
process of understanding the basic physics and
assess changes to the product based on these
models will therefore be of more and more
importance.
2. Governing equations
Thermal properties are needed as a numerical
solution for a geometry field to form a base for
two scalar expressions; relative humidity and
dew point temperature.
2.1 Thermal field
The concept in this paper for approaching the
physics of condensation inside a headlamp has
been to use the bi-directional coupling between
Navier-Stokes equation, and the heat transfer
equation, giving four dependent variables
• Pressure, p
• Velocity field components, u and v
• Temperature, T
Navier-Stokes equations:
The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations,
(1), consist of a momentum balance and a mass
conservation and incompressibility condition.
The equations are:
∂u
ρ + ρ (u ⋅ ∇)u = −∇p + η∇ 2u + F
∂t (1)
∇ ⋅u = 0

Customer driven requirement to have a clear with the following variables:

headlamp without fogging, even in severe
weather conditions, intense the focus to F - volume force.
understand the physics of condensation at inner u - velocity field.
surfaces. ∇ - vector differential operator.
p - pressure.
At the same time product cost and time to η - dynamic viscosity.
market drive the process of virtually assessment ρ - fluid density.
for customer requirements. Full vehicle test on
road tracks and in climate wind tunnels add cost
to the product that in some cases are hard to
motivate from a customer perspective. The
 Excerpt from the Proceedings of the 2006 Nordic COMSOL Conference

Heat Equation: J0 - Surface radiosity expression, and

The heat equation, (2), is based on energy G - Surface irradiation
conservation saying that the change in energy is
equal to the heat source minus the divergence of
the diffusive heat flux: 2.2 Relative humidity

∂T To be able to study moisture inside the

ρc p + ∇ ⋅ (−k∇T + ρc pTu ) = Q (2)
∂t headlamp volume a new variable for relative
humidity, RH, was introduced, (5-8). A
Cp is the heat capacity of the fluid, and ρ is fluid parameter was also needed to define the
density. The expression within the brackets is the humidity between 0 and 100% at the inlet
heat flux vector. Q is a source term. The heat ventilation hole - inletrel_H2O.
flux vector contains a diffusive and a convective
term. The velocity field, u comes from the Parameters inside the previously solved
incompressible Navier-Stokes equation. This thermal model were therefore set up in a scalar
concept give a one-way multi physics coupling expression according to:
from the fluid field to the energy transport by
convection. cinlet
RH relative _ Humidity = (5)
cekvivalent _ H 2O
Both equations are well documented and
used extensively and in this case implemented
pref dH vap 1 1
into the Multiphysics software 3.2 cinlet = inlet rel _ H 2 0 * ⋅ exp(− ⋅( − ) (6)
R ⋅ Tinlet R T Tref
Internal radiation, describing the heat transfer
via electromagnetic waves between two surfaces pref − dH vap 1 1
cekvivalent _ H 2O = ⋅ exp( ⋅( − ) (7)
is of interest inside a headlamp. Two equations R ⋅T R T Tref
define the heat flux with surface-to-surface
radiation condition, (3). The first equation (8)
inlet rel _ H 2 0 = 1
defines the heat flux through the boundary. The
two first terms on the right side of this equation
are the same as for the heat flux condition
without radiation. The third term on the right 2.3 Dew point
side defines the radiative heat flux
Dew point is a function of relative humidity
− n ⋅ (−k∇T ) = qo + h(Tinf − T ) + ε (G − σT 4 ) (3) and temperature. A high relative humidity
indicates that the dew point is closer to the
current air temperature. If the relative humidity
(1 − ε )G = J o − εσT 4
is 100%, the dew point will be equal to the
current temperature. Given a constant dew point,
where when the temperature increases the relative
humidity will decrease.
ε - Surface emissivity,
G - Surface irradiation, (arriving heat flux) A formula, (9-10), to calculate the dew point
σ - Stefan-Boltzmann constant. in degree Celsius within ±0.4 °C was brought
forward in the work by Barenbrug [1].
The second equation, (4) relates the surface
irradiation to the surface radiosity, (heat flux It is valid for:
leaving)
0 °C < T < 60 °C
(1 − ε )G = J o − εσT 4 (4) 0.01 < RH < 1.0
0 °C < Td < 50 °C
where
 Excerpt from the Proceedings of the 2006 Nordic COMSOL Conference

where

T - Temperature in degrees Celsius

RH - Relative humidity
Td - Dew point temperature

The equation are:

b ⋅ α (T , RH )
Td = (9)
a − α (T , RH )

where Figure 2. Mesh distribution

a ⋅T Clear technical steps can be identified and

α (T , RH ) = + ln( RH ) (10) are exemplified with figure 3 to arrive at a
b +T
calculated dew field. The first step is to produce
and thermal properties. These values are used in step
number two for empirical estimation of relative
a = 17.27 humidity. Temperature is reused and the third
b = 237.7 °C and final step is derived by the scalar expression
for dew.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

3. Method
1) Natural Convection

The method for estimating reasonable values A) Temperature Map

2) Heat transfer
for dew point temperatures at a surface was
Empirical
gained by a coupled thermal field. 3) Radiation B) Empirical RH Dew Point
Calculation

A two dimensional geometry, cut from a

headlamp, was modeled as solids with relevant
properties and with boundaries for convection,
Figure 3. Schematic overview for calculation steps
conduction and radiation, figure 1.
A stepwise solver strategy was used to get
reasonable convergence stability by alternatively
solve the thermal equations alone and thereafter
the flow equation alone. The next step was to
start reusing the result of the previous solution as
starting point for the combined equation system.

4. Experimental results

Figure 1. Geometry The experimental done to support the two-

Mesh size, in many cases less than a
millimeter was used and thicknesses were treated
as solids. Figure 2 exemplifies mesh distribution.
dimensional concept calculations aimed at
providing reasonable values for relative humidity
and temperature in time domain for a dynamic
driving cycle during rain. A chip was applied in
the gap between outer lens and inner bessel
together with a digital thermocouple.
 Excerpt from the Proceedings of the 2006 Nordic COMSOL Conference

Figure 4 document a number of temperatures 5. Numerical results

inside and outside of the headlamp together with
estimated dew point between inner bessel and Solving only the heat equations without the
outer lens for a full vehicle driving cycle. bi-bidirectional coupling, with boundaries tuned
towards measurements, give an evenly
25
Temp inside headlamp between lens and bessel
150 distributed thermal field far from a realistic
Dew point scenario for how a head lamp physically

Relative Humidity, (%) and Vehicle speed (kpm)

Outer Lens Temperature 130

20 Relative humidity
Vehicle speed
functions, figure 7.
110

90
Temperature, (C)

15

70

10
50

30
5

10

0 -10
18:00 19:12 20:24 21:36 22:48 00:00 01:12

Figure 4. Temperatures and dew for full vehicle

The circle show the start of condensation i.e. Figure 7. Stationary temperature profile
where the lens temperature drop below
calculated dew point.
A coupled thermal field with a pressure
Temperatures measured inside and at the difference between inlet and outlet ventilation
outer shell of the headlamp for this particular holes will typically have an extensively diffuse
time slice were used as boundaries for the two- heat pattern due to the interaction of convective
dimensional calculations. velocity field u, figure 8.

Figure 5 and figure 6 exemplifies the size

and location of the condensation pattern at the
time stamp 21:10 and 21.36 in figure 4.

Figure 8. Stationary temperature profile

Figure 5. Condensation pattern at T=21:10 The coupled field was used to implement the
scalar expression for relative humidity, figure 9,
typically produce high levels of humidity in the
tip of the headlamp well in line with the results
in figure 5 and figure 6 when the inlet boundary
had a high relative humidity value specified.

Figure 6. Condensation pattern at T=21:36

 Excerpt from the Proceedings of the 2006 Nordic COMSOL Conference

then 10 °C. The result will be production of

water at the inner surface.

6. Discussion

Error estimations of measured data was

Figure 9. Stationary relative humidity profile
The next physical step will be to produce a
dew temperature field and the results can be seen
in figure 10 together with a line plot in figure 11.
Figure 10. Stationary dew temperature profile
derived to understand if the results is of
relevance and also to set the numerical results
into perspective since measured temperatures
was used as parametric values for outer
boundaries.
Figure 12 document error bars for
measurement based dew point, (upper bars only
to enhance readability), and temperature named
TD1, inside the headlamp at the tip, (lower bar to
enhance readability). Uncertainty will be in the
vicinity of 1-1.5 degree C when adding up the
equipment and empirical expression. Data point
between 13.55 and 15:30 state that the inner
temperature is higher than the dew point and
clearly no condensation will occur since lower
and upper error bars never meet. This was also
visually the case since nothing could be seen at
the lens.
22 100
TD2

Figure 11 document a line plot starting at the 20

Dew Point
TD1
90

inner surface of the lens going inwards towards

RH 80

70

the tip of the Bessel, (black line in figure 10). 18

Relative Humidity [%]

Temperature Degree C

60

16 50

40

14
30

20
12
Typical start point 10

10
for condensation 0
13:26 13:55 14:24 14:52 15:21 15:50 16:19 16:48 17:16
TIME

Figure 12. Typical measurement errors for

equipment and empirical dew point estimation given
by Barenbrug, [1]

The circle indicates the start point for

Figure 11. Stationary temperature profile
It was chosen to plot dew temperature versus
temperature field. The result indicates that the
dew temperature at the inner surface, (start point
for the line plot), for this particular load case has
a temperature higher than 10 °C. At the same
data point the temperature is plotted well lower
condensation. An uncertainty to whether there is
a built up of a water layer at an inner surface or
if there is a transition from an inner surface back
to the air even though most of the data point are
likely to produce dew will naturally be present.
The measurement method is still considered to
state condensation.
 Excerpt from the Proceedings of the 2006 Nordic COMSOL Conference
All efforts are based on one stationary
solution. Normal evaluation of the performance
of any optics in the vehicle industry will be a
driving cycle. There will therefore be a need to
do accumulative stationary solutions for a
number of driving situations or even better to
make time dependent simulations with the
boundaries specified as measured temperature
profiles. This is of course not an option seen as
realistic today but rather something to strive
towards.
Some further understanding is also needed
about how to implement different formulations
for dew point calculations since the used
Magnus-Tetens expression only is valid between
0° and 60° Celsius. It is therefore not possible to
use this model outside this temperature interval.
Other empirical formulations could be
implemented to cover a wider temperature range
with the mind set for minus degrees.
When the dew point temperature and air
temperature are equal, the air is said to be
saturated. Dew point temperature is not ever
greater than the air temperature. Therefore, if
the air cools, moisture must be removed from the
air and this is accomplished through
condensation. This process results in the
formation of tiny water droplets that can lead to
the development of fog and even frost. The
presented model will produce results where dew
point temperatures are higher than the
temperature. The energy potential in between
these two temperatures will likely be possible to
develop further and use in an effort as an
estimate of the gradient for the amount of water
vapor produced.
The optical material used in today’s
headlamps will also need further attention since
the model in this paper not covers radiation for
transparent materials. Experimental work
suggests a need for further work in this area to
get higher numerical accuracy.
Normally a glass bulb generates heat of
several hundred degree C at the glass surface.
The assumption in this work at this point has
been convective flow. The dew point calculation
might benefit from a local turbulent model
around the bulb that interacts with a convective
model even though the temperature interval
between 0 to 60 ° Celsius are expected to be
lesser effected. The need for this kind of
complexity increase is today unknown and some
initial work can be valuable to understand if this
is of industrial relevance.
7. Conclusions
It was showed that dew point temperature
fields could be achieved and compared with air
temperature with a reasonable accuracy for a two
dimensional geometry.
It was showed that dew field occurrence and
spread are reasonable compared to measured
data and documented pictures of a head lamp
when measured temperatures are applied to the
boundaries.
It is concluded that a 3D activity will be the
next step to in depth correlate this concept
together with measured temperatures even
though the degree of freedom for the model
might be unreasonably large.
Modeling of optical plastic parts i.e.
transparent surfaces that will receive radiation
heat need to be addressed more extensively.
Never the less dew point calculations based on
the given concept has the possibility to
contribute towards a more robust design for head
lamp condensation.
8. References
1. Barenbrug, A.W.T., Psychrometry and
Psychrometric Charts, 3rd Edition, Cape Town,
S.A.: Cape and Transvaal Printers Ltd., 1974
9. Acknowledgements
General Motors Europe and I would like to
thank Peter Georén, a former Comsol employee,
who made the foundation for this work. Peter’s
ability to listen and discuss the physics made us
go forward with this model in combination with
experimental work.