Solar Simulation with Mechanical Tilting

With this solar simulation system, specially developed for irradiating large vehicles, BF Engineering implemented a highly flexible test solution for DENSO Italy that allows not only the roof of a vehicle but also the side surfaces of an entire bus to be specifically exposed to artificial sunlight. The system features 54 BF SUN high-performance luminaires, each rated at 4,000 W, resulting in a total installed lamp power of 216 kW.

The key feature is the motorised, movable and tiltable luminaire structure. The luminaire frames can be tilted sideways by up to 70° from their horizontal position and can also be moved horizontally. This allows the direction of irradiation to be precisely adapted to the geometry of the vehicle – from conventional irradiation of the vehicle roof to intensive lateral irradiation of windows, bodywork and other exterior surfaces.

This flexibility makes it possible to realistically reproduce different solar positions. In addition to an almost vertical midday sun, low incidence angles such as those occurring at sunrise or sunset can be simulated. At the same time, specific vehicle components can be exposed to high solar loads from the side. With the front section tilted down, the system achieves an irradiance of 1,100 W/m² at an irradiation distance of 2.0 m and a homogeneity of better than ±10%.

The main reference area covers an impressive 19 × 3 metres, enabling homogeneous irradiation of complete buses and other large commercial vehicles. The combination of height adjustment, horizontal movement and tilting allows the luminaires to be optimally positioned relative to the respective vehicle. Vehicle dimensions such as length, width and height are taken into account by the system control in order to automatically define safe movement limits.

The system therefore provides an exceptionally flexible test platform for the development and validation of air conditioning, thermal management and materials for large vehicles. In particular, targeted lateral irradiation enables realistic investigations of solar heat input through large-area bus glazing, as well as the thermal loads on bodywork, interior and exterior materials.