Development and analysis of novel electroluminescent yarns and fabrics for localized automotive interior illumination

Textiles used in automotive interiors can be used to provide localized illumination if made to illuminate. In this study a novel electroluminescent (EL) yarn has been developed that can be integrated with knitted and woven fabrics. An EL yarn construction and an appropriate EL coating have been studied; moreover, a novel automated single yarn coating system has also been developed. An analytical model of the luminance of this yarn was also created based on alternating current thin-film EL technology. An automated EL yarn driver system, which electrically drives the yarn to provide illumination, and an illuminance measurement system to detect its illumination have been explained. The luminescence of the EL yarn has been analyzed based on the luminance derived by the analytical model and the illuminance detected by the measurement system. Finally, knitted fabrics integrated with this yarn are described with possible applications in automotive or aerospace interiors.