Thermal-Fluid Structural Interaction Modeling of Outdoor Digitial Displays

This study uses multi-physics computational simulations, including Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer (CFD/HT) models, and static structural simulations to aid the design of outdoor digital displays. These models provide a powerful approach for parametric investigations with the purpose of understanding the behavior of critical components within the displays and designing for performance and longevity in harsh outdoor environments. The liquid crystal display (LCD) and optical films experience deformations due to the thermal loads and pressure differential inside the display unit. These deformations could lead to flow obstruction of the cavities around the LCD, leading to increased temperatures on the display and a significant reduction in cooling performance of the unit. Deformation of the LCD can also result in mechanical stresses that lead to premature failure. The ANSYS® software package was used to characterize the baseline LCD deformation shape and magnitudes for a 75" unit, which were experimentally validated. Subsequently, the model was used to simulate changes in design of the internal geometry and cooling configuration of the display to improve its performance.