Computational design of a heated PMMA window validated by infrared thermography

Abstract

The thermal behavior of a heated window made of poly(methyl methacrylate) was investigated. Two specimens with different numbers of heating lines were prepared and tested at an initial temperature of -20∘C. The experiments were supervised with an infrared camera operating in the mid-wavelength area. An estimation of uncertainty was performed, because infrared measurements at low temperatures may exhibit greater magnitudes in measurement error. Subsequently, the finite element method was used for simulation of the experiments. Boundary conditions, like convection and power dissipation, were initially estimated and subsequently numerically optimized. The convection coefficient and the input power showed to be crucial design parameters of the simulation. Comparison between experiments and simulations showed temperature deviations within some Kelvin for different heating lines, but the average experimental values were in good agreement with simulation results. The presented numerical model may be used henceforth for further cost-efficient parameter studies concerning window and heating line material, heating line geometry and arrangement, and different boundary conditions.