Vehicle cabin cooling system for capturing and exhausting heated boundary layer air from inner surfaces of solar heated windows

Cooling apparatus for controlling build up of heat within an enclosed space, the enclosed space defined by at least one surface having an elevated temperature relative to the enclosed space such that gases adjacent the surface are heated to an elevated temperature relative to surrounding gases within the enclosed space, the heated gases flowing upward adjacent the surface in a boundary layer, the cooling apparatus comprising:

• a cooling duct positioned above and proximate an upper edge of the surface, said cooling duct including a gas inlet;
• a fan in fluid communication with said cooling duct to draw gases heated by the at least one surface into said gas inlet and through said cooling duct at a predetermined flow rate, said fan having a volumetric flow rate capacity selected so as to substantially capture gases in the boundary layer substantially without capturing unheated air in the enclosed space;
• and
• a gas outlet downstream of said fan and outside of the enclosed space.

A method of minimizing green house-type heat gain in a passenger compartment of a vehicle that has a window partially enclosing said passenger compartment which is exposed to solar radiation, said method comprising:

• absorbing a portion of incident solar radiation in said window to prevent such portion of said incident solar radiation from being transmitted by the window into passenger compartment;
• positioning an inlet of a duct in said passenger compartment adjacent an upper edge of said window and extending the duct to an outlet outside the passenger compartment;
• and
• drawing into said inlet a laminar flow of hot air formed in a boundary layer adjacent the window by conduction of heat energy derived from solar radiation absorbed in the window to air in the passenger compartment that contacts the window;
• and
• conducting the hot air from the inlet through the duct to the outlet and exhausting the hot air outside the passenger compartment.

A method for reducing build up of heat within an interior of an enclosed space, the space defined by at least one surface having an elevated temperature relative to the interior of the enclosed space and having a boundary layer of heated gas with a width of less than about 0.5 inches adjacent said surface, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a cooling duct adjacent at least one surface, said cooling duct including at least one gas inlet having a width substantially equal to said width of said boundary layer;
• providing at least one fan in fluid communication with said cooling duct;
• operating said fan to draw the boundary layer of heated gases into said gas inlet and through said cooling duct, said fan having a volumetric flow rate capacity that is selected to substantially capture the gases only in the boundary layer;
• providing at least one gas outlet downstream of said fan;
• and
• discharging the heated air through said gas outlet outside of the enclosed space.