Delphi's Fog Sensor Technology Receives 'Excellence in Design' Award

CHICAGO, March 5 -- After making it to the list of 15 finalists, Delphi's Fog Sensor, part of the corporation's Automatic Windshield Fog Prevention technology (Auto Defog), was chosen as a grand prize winner in the 23rd Annual Design News Excellence in Design Competition. Just three technologies out of numerous submissions received this honor.

The Fog Sensor, technically known as Delphi's INTELLEK(R) Integrated Dew Point and Glass Temperature (IDGT) Sensor, addresses a J.D. Power top-10 new vehicle rated problem -- "Windows fog up a lot." The patented technology is actually a compact package of three sensors -- a humidity sensor, an ambient air temperature sensor, and a glass surface temperature sensor. Auto Defog is the enhanced climate control system using these sensors to predict windshield fogging and automatically activate preventive actions. This replaces the need for a driver to manually adjust climate controls, keeping their eyes and attention on the road at a time when visibility may already be significantly limited.

"Auto Defog furthers Delphi's drive to develop thermal management technologies that add value to customer programs while enhancing passenger comfort, convenience, and safety," Karma Sangwan, manager of electronics integration, Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems and co-developer of the technology, said. "It quickly removes fog from a windshield and other cabin glass, and it also proactively responds to conditions that may lead to such fogging."

"We engineered our INTELLEK(R) Humidity Sensor to continually monitor interior humidity," said Tim King, sensor engineer, Delphi Packard Electric Systems. "But the integration of the glass-temperature-sensing element was the missing piece in the Auto Defog system to proactively manage automatic climate control systems to prevent fog formation on the windshield." Tim King and Tom Urbank, Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems Development Engineer, are joint inventors of the IDGT Sensor.

The IDGT sensor is located right behind the rear view mirror. In that location, the sensor can optimally take glass temperature readings directly -- avoiding the problem of inferring temperatures from a locations further away from the glass. At the same time, the mirror hides the sensor package, keeping out of the driver's line of sight.

Winners of the "Excellence in Design" Competition were chosen on the basis of the cleverness of their design, their effective use of components and materials and the usefulness and significance of the product. Urbank and Jim Giardino, Chief Engineer, Advanced Systems, Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems, accepted the Excellence in Design Award on March 4, 2003 at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.

For more information about Delphi Corporation, visit Delphi's Virtual Press Room at www.delphi.com/media .

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