NovaShade: A PWM-Based Embedded Thermal Regulation System for Autonomous Windshield Defrosting

Faculty Mentor

Reza Jalilzadeh Hamidi

Location

Russell Union Ballroom

Type of Research

Proposed

Session Format

Poster Presentation

College

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing

Department

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Abstract

Winter frost and ice accumulation on vehicle windshields poses a persistent safety hazard, commonly addressed by idling the engine, a practice that collectively wastes billions of gallons of fuel and contributes tens of millions of tons of CO₂ emissions annually. This paper presents NovaShade, an embedded thermal regulation system designed to autonomously pre-heat vehicle windshields through intelligent, scheduled, surface-targeted power delivery from the vehicle's existing 12V electrical system. The system integrates an ESP32 microcontroller, a 100W silicone heating pad, an MCP9808 surface-contact temperature sensor, an INA226 voltage monitor, and a DS3231 real-time clock module into a unified embedded architecture implemented on a custom PCB. Firmware employs a piecewise temperature-to-PWM mapping strategy across three defined thermal zones, with a ramp-rate control algorithm that enforces a controlled power slew rate to suppress inrush current transients during heating transitions. A voltage-gating mechanism prevents system activation under abnormal supply conditions, and a deep sleep architecture minimizes standby current draw between RTC-scheduled heating cycles. User interaction is facilitated through a companion mobile application enabling remote schedule configuration and real-time monitoring. System performance was validated through oscilloscope verification of PWM output fidelity and ramp-controlled transitions, as well as thermal characterization on real windshield glass. Results confirm stable closed-loop surface temperature regulation across all defined thermal zones, demonstrating a deployable, vehicle-ready smart defroster requiring no engine operation and no hardware modifications to the host vehicle.

Program Description

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Start Date

4-23-2026 2:00 PM

End Date

4-23-2026 4:00 PM

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Apr 23rd, 2:00 PM Apr 23rd, 4:00 PM

NovaShade: A PWM-Based Embedded Thermal Regulation System for Autonomous Windshield Defrosting

Russell Union Ballroom

Winter frost and ice accumulation on vehicle windshields poses a persistent safety hazard, commonly addressed by idling the engine, a practice that collectively wastes billions of gallons of fuel and contributes tens of millions of tons of CO₂ emissions annually. This paper presents NovaShade, an embedded thermal regulation system designed to autonomously pre-heat vehicle windshields through intelligent, scheduled, surface-targeted power delivery from the vehicle's existing 12V electrical system. The system integrates an ESP32 microcontroller, a 100W silicone heating pad, an MCP9808 surface-contact temperature sensor, an INA226 voltage monitor, and a DS3231 real-time clock module into a unified embedded architecture implemented on a custom PCB. Firmware employs a piecewise temperature-to-PWM mapping strategy across three defined thermal zones, with a ramp-rate control algorithm that enforces a controlled power slew rate to suppress inrush current transients during heating transitions. A voltage-gating mechanism prevents system activation under abnormal supply conditions, and a deep sleep architecture minimizes standby current draw between RTC-scheduled heating cycles. User interaction is facilitated through a companion mobile application enabling remote schedule configuration and real-time monitoring. System performance was validated through oscilloscope verification of PWM output fidelity and ramp-controlled transitions, as well as thermal characterization on real windshield glass. Results confirm stable closed-loop surface temperature regulation across all defined thermal zones, demonstrating a deployable, vehicle-ready smart defroster requiring no engine operation and no hardware modifications to the host vehicle.