Evaluation of Requirements for the Development of a Bench Test System to test PTC Heater in-situ Automotive HVAC case units

The aim of this study is to research the requirements for the development of a bench test system, in order to address the control and measurement of a PTC heater in a modern automotive heating, ventilating, and air... [ view full abstract ]

The aim of this study is to research the requirements for the development of a bench test system, in order to address the control and measurement of a PTC heater in a modern automotive heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Two avenues of investigation were explored; how testing of Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heaters is carried out with standard wind tunnel technology and the potential for effective flexible control of automotive power supply, blower module control and flexible instrumentation relating to measurement of power requirements, airflows, temperature and pressure gradients within an automotive HVAC.