Device and method for accelerating odor regeneration from air conditioners

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner, wherein the apparatus and the method accelerate the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner by dividing microorganisms, temperature / humidity conditions, and nutrients required for the metabolism of the microorganisms into conditions for reproducing the odor from the air conditioner, and setting the divided microorganisms, temperature / humidity conditions, and nutrients required for the metabolism of the microorganisms according to their acceleration conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner, which enables the generation of a biofilm in a short time to enhance the odor from the air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, when the vehicle air conditioner is turned off while the vehicle is running, bacteria will multiply in the evaporator because there is still moisture in the evaporator, and as a result, when the air conditioner is turned on, the fungi and bacteria that are parasitic in the evaporator are discharged along with the air. Therefore, the fungi and bacteria can be inhaled by the respiratory organs of the driver and passengers and produce an unpleasant odor.

[0003] As a prior art for removing odor from an air conditioner, Korean Patent Unexamined Publication No. 10-2005-103830 (hereinafter, referred to as 'Document 1') is provided.

[0004] Document 1 discloses a method for removing odor from an air conditioner, which can remove moisture from an evaporator by further activating a fan after the operation of the air conditioner is stopped to dry and remove moisture from the evaporator.

[0005] Similarly, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-726225 (hereinafter, referred to as 'Document 2') discloses a method of removing odor from an air conditioner of a car by drying moisture remaining in an evaporator by activating a fan.

[0006] However, the solutions given in Documents 1 and 2 cannot effectively remove moisture in the evaporator by activating the fan, because the fan rotates continuously even after the air conditioner stops, as a result, misidentification problems and malfunctions may occur, and fuel efficiency may deteriorate. Therefore, Documents 1 and 2 cannot be a fundamental countermeasure for removing odor from the air conditioner.

[0007] At the same time, as the vehicle is used, when the components of the air-conditioning system age, the odor-causing microorganisms are adsorbed on the surface of the evaporator, forming a biofilm layer. It is well known that the microorganisms that form the biofilm layer will cause odor.

[0008] Therefore, in recent years, a technology for removing odor from an air conditioner by using microorganisms that cause odor from the air conditioner and microorganisms that do not cause odor has been developed.

[0009] However, for the test of fundamentally removing odor from the air conditioner by using microorganisms, there is a problem that the evaporator core installed on the vehicle is accelerated to wear to the level of an old car (about 3 years or more).

[0010] Considering that the development cycle of newly released new cars tends to be shortened and the design components applied to each new car are constantly changing, there is a particular demand for technology that can regenerate odors from air conditioners in a short period of time.

[0011] The above information disclosed in the background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background technology and therefore may contain information that does not constitute the prior art that is already known to ordinary technicians in this country. Summary of the invention

[0012] The present invention is dedicated to providing an apparatus and method for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner, which operates the air conditioning system of a vehicle under actual working conditions and quickly accelerates the regeneration and generates a biofilm layer on the surface of an evaporator core reaching the level of an old car, so as to accurately perform an odor removal regeneration test from the air conditioner using microorganisms.

[0013] In one aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner, comprising: a detachable microorganism inoculation unit; and a nutrient supply unit that provides nutrients for microorganisms inoculated in the microorganism inoculation unit.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus may further include a sample installation unit for installing the microorganism inoculation unit on a movement path of the nutrients provided by the nutrient supply unit.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment, the apparatus may further include an air supply and temperature / humidity controller configured to circulate temperature- and humidity-controlled air and supply the air to the microorganism inoculation unit.

[0016] In another preferred embodiment, the nutrient supply unit may provide the microorganism inoculation unit with at least one selected from the group consisting of urban air pollutants, exhaust gas, gasoline, diesel, and VOC.

[0017] In yet another preferred embodiment, the microbial inoculation unit may be an evaporator core.

[0018] In another preferred embodiment, the microbial inoculation unit may be an evaporator core, and the sample mounting unit may include a sample clamp unit, the sample clamp unit including a clamp shell, the clamp shell forming a pipeline connected to the air supply and the temperature / humidity controller to form a circulation loop, in which the air provided by the air supply and the temperature / humidity controller passes through the evaporator core and returns to the air supply and the temperature / humidity controller.

[0019] In yet another preferred embodiment, the sample holder unit may further include a blower installed inside the holder housing at the rear end of the evaporator core.

[0020] In another preferred embodiment, the sample fixture unit may further include a distillation grid installed at the inlet of the evaporator core inside the fixture housing; a second temperature / humidity sensor installed at the outlet of the evaporator core; a relative humidity meter connected to the lower end of the evaporator core; and an airflow meter installed at the outlet of the connecting pipe connecting the outlet of the blower with the upper chamber.

[0021] In yet another preferred embodiment, a collecting hole for collecting odor passing through the evaporator core may be formed in the sample holder unit, and the collecting hole is in the form of an opening at one end of the holder housing.

[0022] In yet another preferred embodiment, the microorganism inoculation unit may be an evaporator core, and the air supply and temperature / humidity controller may further include a temperature / humidity controller for controlling the temperature of air supplied to the sample mounting unit.

[0023] In another preferred embodiment, the device may further include: a cooler refrigeration unit for providing cooling water to the evaporator core; and an electronic controller mounted on one side of the chamber housing for controlling the sample holder unit and the cooler refrigeration unit (including a temperature / humidity controller) under desired working conditions.

[0024] In another preferred embodiment, the temperature / humidity controller may include an air supply refrigeration unit, which includes a cooling coil; a heater and a humidifying nozzle, which are installed in sequence above the cooling coil of the air supply refrigeration unit; an indoor blower, which is installed above the humidifying nozzle to discharge air passing through the cooling coil and provide the discharged air to the sample clamp unit; and a first temperature / humidity sensor, which is installed in an internal portion adjacent to the sample clamp unit.

[0025] In yet another preferred embodiment, the apparatus may further include a collecting unit which collects microorganisms to inoculate the microorganisms in the microorganism inoculation unit.

[0026] In another preferred embodiment, the microorganism inoculation unit may be an evaporator core, and the collection unit may be configured so that the evaporator core is detachable and includes an evaporator core clamp configured to guide microorganisms floating in the air and inoculate the guided microorganisms onto the evaporator core.

[0027] In yet another preferred embodiment, the evaporator core clamp may be configured to further include an air filter for filtering air.

[0028] In another preferred embodiment, the evaporator core clamp may include a shell consisting of a rectangular body and an inclined surface, an inlet formed on one surface of the rectangular body and an outlet formed on the other surface, the inclined surface guiding air to the outlet formed on a surface corresponding to the inlet; a filter and a core support, which are mounted on the bottom surface inside the shell; an air filter, which is mounted above the filter and the core support and adjacent to the inlet; and an evaporator core, which is mounted above the filter and the core support and adjacent to the outlet.

[0029] In another preferred embodiment, the evaporator core fixture may include a shell having an inclined air intake plate, an inlet formed on the front surface of the shell, and an outlet formed on the rear surface thereof; and a filter and core fixing plate, whose inclination angle is the same as the inclination angle of the inclined air intake plate and is straight on two inner surfaces; and an air filter and an evaporator core, each of which is installed on the filter and core fixing plate in a straight line front to back in the shell.

[0030] On the other hand, the present invention provides a method for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner, comprising: collecting microorganisms floating in the air to inoculate the microorganisms in a microorganism inoculation unit; installing and fixing the microorganism inoculation unit to a sample mounting unit; and circulating air with controlled temperature and humidity and providing the air together with nutrients to the microorganism inoculation unit when a chiller refrigeration unit is selectively operated.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the method may further include collecting odor generated from a biofilm layer generated within the evaporator core, which is the microorganism inoculation unit.

[0032] In another preferred embodiment, the nutrient may be at least one selected from the group consisting of urban air pollutants, exhaust gas, gasoline, diesel, and VOC.

[0033] In yet another preferred embodiment, the air supply and temperature / humidity controller may continuously control the temperature and humidity while circulating the temperature and humidity controlled air and supplying the air together with nutrients to the microorganism inoculation unit.

[0034] In yet another preferred embodiment, while circulating temperature and humidity controlled air and supplying the air together with nutrients to the microbial inoculation unit, a temperature / humidity mode in which the air supply and temperature / humidity controller continuously control the temperature and humidity may be alternated with a nutrient mode in which only nutrients are supplied without controlling the temperature and humidity.

[0035] In yet another preferred embodiment, the operating cycle and the idle cycle of the chiller refrigeration unit may be alternated according to a predetermined operating time rate.

[0036] In yet another preferred embodiment, the microbial inoculation unit may be an evaporator core.

[0037] By means of solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the following effects.

[0038] According to the present invention, the vehicle air conditioning system is operated under actual working conditions, and the biofilm layer is generated on the surface of the evaporator core and rapidly accelerated to the old car level to accurately perform an odor removal regeneration test from the air conditioner using microorganisms.

[0039] Specifically, since each vehicle type and specification is equipped with multiple evaporator cores, different biofilm layers are generated on the surface of the evaporator cores, and thus the odor regeneration test from the air conditioner can be performed under various and more precise conditions.

[0040] Other aspects and preferred embodiments of the invention are discussed below.

[0041] It should be understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicle-related" or other similar terms used herein generally include motor vehicles, such as passenger cars (including sports utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles), watercraft (including various ships and vessels), aircraft, etc., and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels obtained from resources other than petroleum). As described herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle having two or more power sources, such as a vehicle powered by both gasoline and electricity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] The above and other features of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings provided below are merely illustrative and therefore do not limit the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0043] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating an apparatus for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 2 is a front view illustrating an apparatus for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating an apparatus for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 4 and Figure 5 are left and right views illustrating an apparatus for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 6 and Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an evaporator wick clamp that may be used as an apparatus for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but are merely simplified representations of various preferred features that illustrate the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the invention disclosed herein, including, for example, specific size, orientation, location, and shape, will be determined in part by the specific intended application and use environment.

[0049] In the drawings, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several views. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Reference will be made in detail to a number of embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the present invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the present invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0051] The term biofilm layer used in the present invention refers to a layer in which microorganisms that may or may not cause odor are adsorbed on the surface of the evaporator core when the air conditioning system is operating.

[0052] The present invention focuses on providing a device for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner, which is intended to simulate a mechanism of a vehicle that causes odor from an air conditioner using a biofilm layer formed by microorganisms that cause odor from an air conditioner and accelerate the simulation.

[0053] Furthermore, the present invention is also intended to provide a method for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner and a regeneration test device designed to implement the method for regenerating odor from an air conditioner, which can regenerate odor from the air conditioner and construct an environment required for accelerating odor regeneration.

[0054] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner, wherein the apparatus and the method accelerate the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner by dividing microorganisms, temperature / humidity conditions, and nutrients required for microorganism metabolism into conditions for regenerating odor from an air conditioner, and setting the divided microorganisms, temperature / humidity conditions, and nutrients required for microorganism metabolism according to their acceleration conditions.

[0055] In this regard, the three components for reproducing the odor from the air conditioner are divided into microorganisms in the atmosphere, environmental conditions (temperature / humidity) within the vehicle, and nutrients provided for metabolism.

[0056] Taking these three parts into consideration, in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, three parts are provided to implement the device and method for accelerating the regeneration of odors from the air conditioner. This can be arranged by microbial inoculation, air conditioner operating time and the number of air conditioner operating phases (number of revolutions per minute of the blower).

[0057] It is necessary to realize an environment similar to that of a vehicle that can cause odor for the test of accelerating the regeneration of odor from air conditioning. Therefore, the air conditioning can be used to simulate the vehicle air conditioning system that is the root cause of the odor generation, and the operating time of the air conditioning and the vehicle environmental conditions (i.e., temperature and humidity conditions) can be controlled. Further, in the present invention, nutrients required for microbial metabolism are regarded as various pollutants in the air, and the number of operating stages (i.e., the air volume of the blower) is designed to be controllable.

[0058] Specifically, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus is configured to include a microorganism inoculation unit for inoculating microorganisms, a nutrient supply unit for providing nutrients to the inoculated microorganisms, and an air supply and temperature / humidity controller for providing air (whose temperature / humidity is controlled to promote the metabolism of the microorganisms).

[0059] Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a structure is provided for reproducing actual driving conditions to adsorb microorganisms and collect the microorganisms in an evaporator core, and a microorganism inoculation unit (evaporator core) for inoculating the collected microorganisms is configured to be installed in the device to accelerate the regeneration of odor from the air conditioner.

[0060] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus is configured to generate a biofilm layer on the microbial inoculation unit by starting and stopping the air conditioner that normally uses cooling water while controlling the temperature / humidity at which microorganisms can grow, and perform an odor regeneration mode under accelerated conditions.

[0061] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] First, in order to collect microorganisms in the atmosphere introduced in an actual driving state rather than in indoor air (eg, a laboratory), a collecting unit for collecting microorganisms is installed on an actual vehicle, and as a result, the collecting unit is used as a fixture for the evaporator fixture.

[0063] That is, in order to inoculate microorganisms floating in the air, an evaporator core clamp that can be mounted on an actual vehicle is provided, and it can be fixed at a location such as a luggage rack of the vehicle.

[0064] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an evaporator wick clamp that may be used as an apparatus for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] refer to Figure 6 The evaporator core clamp 60 includes an inlet 61 formed on one side of the front surface, a rectangular shell 63 having an outlet 62 on the other surface and serving as a frame body, and an inclined surface 69 inclined toward the outlet 62, which is formed on the opposite side of the inlet 61 for introducing air (i.e., on the side of the rear surface of the shell 63) to guide the air to the outlet 62.

[0066] The jig 60 further includes a filter and wick support 64 mounted on the bottom surface within the housing 63, and an air filter 65 fixed to the filter and wick support 64 and an evaporator wick 31 as a microorganism collection target. Therefore, the air filter 65 is mounted on the filter and wick support 64 and adjacent to the inlet 61, and the evaporator wick 31 is mounted on the filter and wick support 64 and adjacent to the outlet 62.

[0067] Therefore, when the vehicle is running, when outdoor air enters through the inlet 61 of the housing 63 installed and fixed on the luggage rack, foreign matter is filtered by the air filter 65, and thereafter, the outdoor air is discharged to the outlet 62 through the evaporator core 31, with the result that microorganisms are collected in the evaporator core 31 like a kind of seed.

[0068] The evaporator core having microorganisms collected therein is mounted on a device for accelerating regeneration of odor from an air conditioner to be described below, for accelerating regeneration of odor from an air conditioner.

[0069] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating another evaporator wick clamp that may be used as an apparatus for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] refer to Figure 7 The evaporator core clamp 60 includes an inclined air intake plate 67, an inlet 61 is formed on the front surface of the clamp 60; a shell 63 with an outlet 62 and serving as a frame body, the outlet 62 is formed on the rear surface; and a filter and core fixing plate 68, the inclination angle of which on the two inner walls is the same as that of the inclined air intake plate 67.

[0071] In this case, the air filter 65 and the evaporator core 31 are held and fixed on each filter and core fixing plate 68 within the housing 63, with the result that the air filter 65 is mounted and fixed on the filter and core fixing plate 68 and is adjacent to the inlet 61, while the evaporator core 31 is mounted and fixed on the filter and core fixing plate 68 and is adjacent to the outlet 62.

[0072] Therefore, when the vehicle is running, when outdoor air enters through the inlet 61 of the inclined air intake plate 67 of the housing 63 installed and fixed on the luggage rack, foreign matter is filtered by the air filter 65, and thereafter, the outdoor air is discharged to the outlet 62 through the evaporator core 31, with the result that microorganisms are collected in the evaporator core 31 like a kind of seed.

[0073] Hereinafter, a device for accelerating regeneration of odor from an air conditioner will be described, the device being configured to be installed with a microorganism inoculation unit (preferably, an evaporator core) in which microorganisms are collected to regenerate odor from the air conditioner.

[0074] The apparatus for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner is configured to form a biofilm on an evaporator core by using microorganisms collected by an evaporator core clamp, and regenerate the odor from the air conditioner because the odor is generated by the metabolism of the formed biofilm.

[0075] To this end, the apparatus for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to be installed with an evaporator core, and microorganisms in the evaporator core are collected on the movement path of nutrients provided by a nutrient supply unit. Nutrients are contained in the installed evaporator core, resulting in metabolic activity, and the odor is configured to be generated in an environment similar to that of a vehicle.

[0076] Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present invention, while providing at least one of urban air pollutants, exhaust gas and VOC as nutrients to the evaporator core as a microorganism inoculation unit, the temperature and humidity conditions are configured to be maintained under accelerated conditions so that the microorganisms can perform metabolism. Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, gasoline having a composition similar to the above-mentioned nutrients for actually causing odor can be selected and supplied to continuously provide homogeneous nutrients.

[0077] Below, we will refer to Figures 1 to 5 The configuration of an apparatus for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in more detail. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device, Figure 2 is the front view of the device, Figure 3 is a plan view of the equipment, Figure 4 and Figure 5 These are the left and right views of the device.

[0078] The apparatus for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an air supply and a temperature / humidity controller for controlling the environmental conditions under which microorganisms metabolize, a nutrient supply unit 70 for providing nutrients to the microorganisms, and a sample mounting unit connected to the air supply and the temperature / humidity controller.

[0079] The air supply and temperature / humidity controller is configured to circulate and supply outdoor air or indoor air to the evaporator core side as described in an actual vehicle, and control the temperature and humidity conditions of the supplied air.

[0080] In this case, the nutrients provided by the nutrient supply unit 70 are configured to be included in the provided air. The nutrients may be at least one of urban air pollutants, exhaust gas, gasoline, diesel, and VOC, and preferably gasoline.

[0081] The odor of microorganisms may change depending on the food, so it is necessary to accurately specify the nutrients required for the actual metabolism of microorganisms to achieve actual vehicle driving conditions through the regeneration test. In view of this, in the embodiment, vehicle exhaust, substances in urban polluted air, and VOCs generated inside new cars are specified as components related to the actual metabolism of microorganisms, and are basically provided as nutrients.

[0082] Standard nutrients are needed to continuously provide constant nutrition to achieve the repeatability of the test. Further, since it is necessary to end the repeated regeneration as soon as possible, concentrated nutrients can be provided.

[0083] In view of this, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a standard nutrient gas is prepared by using steam that condenses gasoline or diesel, compared with exhaust gas or atmospheric pollutants.

[0084] Table 1 given below is a result of plotting a calibration line using toluene and inversely calculating the concentrations of gasoline and diesel based on the slope of the calibration line showing the concentrations of gasoline and diesel compared with toluene having a volume concentration of 76.7 ppm.

[0085] [Table 1]

[0086]

[0087] Even as shown in Table 1 given above, it is most preferred that the concentration of pollutants used as nutrients in gasoline is higher than that in diesel, so gasoline is configured to be provided as a standard nutrient gas.

[0088] Further, the sample installation unit is configured to install an evaporator core inoculated with microorganisms therein, and the temperature / humidity of air flowing to the installed evaporator core is configured to achieve a form for simulating the metabolism of microorganisms in a vehicle.

[0089] In this case, the evaporator core forms part of a cooling circuit similar to that of a vehicle.

[0090] The following will describe an air supply and temperature / humidity controller that generates a biofilm layer in the microorganism inoculation unit by controlling the temperature and humidity of the air while circulating outdoor air or indoor air under actual vehicle conditions and supplying the air to the microorganism inoculation unit.

[0091] According to the present embodiment, the apparatus for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner includes a chamber casing 10 having a predetermined volume, and an inner portion of the chamber casing 10 is divided into an upper chamber 11 and a lower chamber 12 .

[0092] The air supply and temperature / humidity controller are installed in the chamber housing 10. Preferably, the air supply and temperature / humidity controller may be configured to include: an indoor blower 25 for supplying air to a sample holder unit 30 to be described below; and a temperature / humidity controller 20 configured to control the temperature and humidity of the supplied air.

[0093] like Figure 4 As illustrated, the temperature / humidity controller 20 and the indoor blower 25 may be installed at one side of the upper chamber 11 of the chamber housing 10 .

[0094] Specifically, the temperature / humidity controller 20 includes: an air supply refrigeration unit 21, which is configured to reduce the temperature of the supplied air; a heater 23, which is installed above the cooling coil 22 of the air supply refrigeration unit 21 to control the rise and fall of the temperature by heating the outdoor air or the indoor air; and a humidifying nozzle 24, which is placed above the heater 23 and is connected to a humidifier, etc., so as to humidify the outdoor air or indoor air discharged from the air supply refrigeration unit 21 through the heater.

[0095] Further, the indoor blower 25 is configured to be installed above the humidification nozzle 24 (eg Figure 4 ), to discharge the air passing through the cooling coil 22, the heater 23 of the air supply refrigeration unit 21, and the humidification nozzle 24 to the upper chamber 11, and to supply the discharged air to the sample holder unit 30.

[0096] In this case, the first temperature / humidity sensor 26 which measures the temperature and humidity of the air discharged from the supply air refrigeration unit 21 and transmits the measured temperature and humidity to the electronic controller 50 is installed at an inner position of the upper chamber 11 and adjacent to the sample holder unit 30, as described below.

[0097] Meanwhile, the evaporator core 31 for collecting microorganisms is detachably mounted on the sample holder unit, and a plurality of sample holder units 30 are mounted outside the upper chamber 11 of the chamber housing 10. Further, a cooler refrigeration unit 40 for circulating liquid cooling water and supplying the liquid cooling water to the evaporator core 31 is mounted in the lower chamber of the chamber housing 10.

[0098] The chiller refrigeration unit 40 is constituted by a conventional refrigeration unit including a cooling water cooler, a cooling water pump, a cooling water heater, a cooling refrigeration unit, etc. In this case, cooling water may be used as a refrigerant, unlike a conventional air conditioning refrigerant of an air conditioning system.

[0099] Further, a humidifier connected to a humidifying nozzle of the upper chamber 11 of the chamber housing 10 may be placed in the lower chamber 12 where the cooler refrigeration unit 40 is installed to spray mist to the upper chamber.

[0100] Meanwhile, the evaporator as the microorganism inoculation unit is detachably constructed in the device to accelerate the regeneration of odor from the air conditioner through the sample installation unit with the wick. That is, the microorganism inoculation unit is installed on the evaporator wick fixture as the collection unit to inoculate the collected microorganisms, and then removed from the collection unit and installed in the sample installation unit, which is installed on the cooling top of the simulated air conditioner.

[0101] The microorganism inoculation unit should not be particularly implemented to be detachable from the collection unit, and the collection unit and the microorganism inoculation unit may be constructed as an integral body. In this case, the collection unit and the microorganism inoculation unit having an integral structure may be directly mounted on the device for accelerating the regeneration of odor from the air conditioner.

[0102] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sample mounting unit is provided in the sample fixture unit 30 for mounting and fixing the microorganism inoculation unit in an actual vehicle state.

[0103] The sample clamp unit 30 is arranged in a structure in which a collection hole 32 for collecting odor passing through the evaporator core 31 and a nutrient supply unit 70 for providing nutrients are formed, with the result that a plurality of clamp shells 33 of the sample clamp unit 30 are mounted on the front surface of the chamber housing 10, that is, located outside the front surface of the upper chamber 11 as a frame body.

[0104] The reason for placing a plurality of jig cases 33 in which the evaporator cores 31 are combined is that a biofilm layer generation test of different evaporator cores 31 can be simultaneously performed for each vehicle model or specification.

[0105] Specifically, the evaporator core 31 is detachably mounted at a middle portion of the fixture housing 33 to exchange heat with air introduced from the air supply and the temperature / humidity controller.

[0106] In this case, the evaporator core 31 may be detachably mounted to the middle portion of the clamp case 33 by applying a general assembling structure (eg, a slide plate scheme, a clamp scheme, a cover opening / closing scheme, etc.).

[0107] Furthermore, a blower 34 is installed in the fixture housing 33 for returning the air introduced from the temperature / humidity controller 20 (i.e., the air passing through the evaporator core 31) to the upper chamber again, and in addition, a connecting pipe 35 is connected between the outlet of the blower 34 and the upper chamber 11 so as to return the air passing through the evaporator core 31 to the upper chamber 11.

[0108] Furthermore, as another component of the sample holder unit 30 , a rectification grid 36 for rectifying the air entering the evaporator core 31 is installed on the inlet of the evaporator core 31 in the holder housing 33 .

[0109] In addition, the sample clamp unit 30 includes a second temperature / humidity sensor 37 installed on the outlet of the evaporator core 31, a relative humidity meter 38 connected to the lower end of the evaporator core 31, and an airflow meter 39 installed on the outlet of the connecting pipe 35 connecting the outlet of the blower 34 and the upper chamber 11. The above-mentioned second temperature / humidity sensor, relative humidity meter and airflow meter are used as sensing devices to change the conditions for microorganisms to form a biofilm layer and the conditions for odor regeneration.

[0110] In this case, a collection hole 32 for collecting odor in the air passing through the evaporator core 31 is penetratingly formed on the front surface of the clamp case 33, ie, at a rear position of the evaporator core 31, to be openable / closable.

[0111] In addition, a nutrient supply unit 70 for providing nutrients is formed on the jig housing, and nutrients and microorganisms are provided through the nutrient supply unit at the evaporator core side.

[0112] At the same time, an electronic controller 50 (which is a type of controller) for controlling the indoor blower and heater of the temperature / humidity controller 20, the blower of the sample clamp unit 30, the cooling pump and cooler of the cooler refrigeration unit 40, etc. based on signals from various sensing devices according to the required operating conditions is installed at one side inside the chamber housing 10.

[0113] Herein, the working process of the apparatus for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner including the above-mentioned construction will be described below.

[0114] Currently, since a test for reproducing odor from an air conditioner is provided, the odor from the air conditioner can be applied to an actual vehicle.

[0115] Thus, the present invention features a biofilm layer configured to grow within the evaporator core through operational acceleration according to cycle patterns reflected by actual vehicle monitoring and temperature / humidity control.

[0116] To this end, a method for accelerating odor regeneration from an air conditioner is constructed to include: collecting microorganisms floating in the air to inoculate the microorganisms in a microorganism inoculation unit, installing and fixing the microorganism inoculation unit on a sample mounting unit, and circulating air with controlled temperature and humidity and supplying the air together with nutrients to the microorganism inoculation unit.

[0117] Specifically, the process is preferably performed in a Figure 6 The collecting unit of the illustrated structure is carried out, the microorganism inoculation unit is installed on the collecting unit, and then the vehicle with the collecting unit installed is driven. Preferably, the collecting unit can be installed on the roof of the vehicle.

[0118] This process corresponds to the steps of introducing and collecting microorganisms in the atmosphere into the evaporator core fixture as a collection unit, and then inoculating the collected microorganisms on the microorganism inoculation unit in the collection unit. In this regard, the collection unit may be configured to be integrally formed with the microorganism inoculation unit, and in this case, the test is performed by directly mounting the integral structure on the device for accelerating the regeneration of odor from the air conditioner.

[0119] Next, by using the sample mounting unit, the evaporator core corresponding to the microorganism inoculation unit is mounted on the device for accelerating odor regeneration from the air conditioner, which is manufactured for the growth and metabolism of microorganisms.

[0120] In this case, a plurality of sample holder units 30 are provided, and a plurality of different evaporator cores 31 can be placed for each vehicle type or specification at the same time.

[0121] Next, the following steps are performed, that is, outdoor air or indoor air in an actual vehicle state is circulated and supplied to the microorganism inoculation unit, and the temperature and humidity of the air are controlled to generate a biofilm layer on the microorganism inoculation unit.

[0122] In this step, the air supply refrigeration unit 21 of the temperature / humidity controller 20 installed in the upper chamber 11 of the chamber housing 10 and the chiller refrigeration unit 40 installed in the lower chamber 12 are operated. In this case, the various components are repeatedly operated and stopped, maintaining various environmental conditions that allow microorganisms to form a biofilm layer on the surface of the evaporable core 31.

[0123] Therefore, when the supply air refrigeration unit 21 (eg, an actual vehicle air conditioner) discharges outdoor air or indoor air while cooling the outdoor air or indoor air, the discharged air flows to the evaporator core 31 .

[0124] The refrigerant may be configured to circulate while passing through the evaporator core 31 by operating the chiller refrigeration unit 40. Unlike a general air conditioning refrigerant of an air conditioning system, the refrigerant may become liquid cooling water.

[0125] The refrigerant exchanges heat with the air passing through the evaporator core 31 while circulating, and condensed water is formed on the surface of the evaporator core 31 through the heat exchange.

[0126] Further, the cooled air passing through the evaporator core 31 is subjected to repeated circulation, during which the cooled air is returned to the upper chamber 11 through the connecting duct 35, and the returned air is sucked again by the indoor blower and then discharged to the upper chamber again.

[0127] When this working process is repeated, a biofilm layer depending on the growth of microorganisms is generated on the surface of the evaporator core 31 inoculated with the microorganisms.

[0128] During such a process, the operating time of the refrigeration unit and the number of revolutions per minute of the indoor blower may be controlled according to a predetermined scheme.

[0129] For example, by considering the overall scheme of the driver in the actual vehicle to operate the air conditioner, the working time, working cycle and idle cycle of the refrigeration unit can be alternately set. Further, the number of revolutions per minute of the indoor blower can also be variably set according to a predetermined scheme.

[0130] At the same time, differently from this, in order to accelerate the regeneration of odor, conditions are determined so that the odor from the air conditioner is regenerated in the shortest time, and according to the determined conditions, the working time of the refrigeration unit and the number of revolutions per minute of the indoor blower are fixed, and the device for accelerating the regeneration of odor from the air conditioner is operated in this way.

[0131] The resulting working conditions are set as follows.

[0132] In the experimental example, the air-conditioning operation mode of the device applied to accelerate the regeneration of odor from the air-conditioning was calculated by collecting the driving time and operation time of the actual vehicle.

[0133] [Table 2]

[0134] Classification spring summer autumn winter One year Vehicle 1 136.6 93.7 83.6 89.2 403.2 Vehicle 2 138.6 129.7 110.7 98.9 477.8 Vehicle 3 71.9 85.7 66.8 72.9 297.3 Vehicle 4 126.6 73.7 104.1 120.0 424.3 Vehicle 5 112.1 94.6 84.3 120.5 411.5 Vehicle 6 64.7 100.6 51.3 143.7 429.2 average 108.4 96.3 83.5 107.5 429.2

[0135] [Table 3]

[0136] Classification spring summer autumn winter One year Vehicle 1 62.0 74.4 41.4 19.7 197.4 Vehicle 2 54.4 107.0 83.2 15.0 259.7 Vehicle 3 6.8 40.1 6.5 0.5 53.9 Vehicle 4 6.6 30.2 10.7 0.4 47.9 Vehicle 5 6.7 32.9 6.3 0.2 46.1 Vehicle 6 2.1 35.3 17.6 0.3 55.4 average 23.1 53.3 27.6 6.0 110.1

[0137] Table 2 shows the driving time of each vehicle, and Table 3 shows the working conditions of the air conditioner in the corresponding vehicle.

[0138] In Table 4 given below, the converted operating rate of the air conditioner in each season is calculated based on the data in Tables 2 and 3.

[0139] In this regard, since the working patterns in spring and fall showed similar results, spring and fall were grouped together to reduce the experimental units.

[0140] [Table 4]

[0141]

[0142]

[0143] The average driving time is the driving time for each season in Table 2, and the average working time is the air conditioning working time for each season in Table 3 (in the case of spring / autumn, it is the sum of spring and autumn).

[0144] The working time rate is obtained by dividing the average working time by the average driving time, and the working time is expressed as an 8-hour driving reference value D when the vehicle drives for 8 hours.

[0145] The working time rate C and the 8-hour driving reference working time D are used to divide the simulated working time of the air conditioner into a working period and an idle period.

[0146] For example, in the case of spring / autumn, since the operating time of the air conditioner for an 8-hour driving reference is 2.1 hours, the setting includes a 2.1-hour operating period and a 5.9-hour idle period.

[0147] At the same time, in order to reflect the driving conditions (during which the vehicle is driven and stopped and the air conditioner is turned on / off repeatedly), the working time rate is set so that the working cycle and the idle cycle are repeated four times during one cycle (8 hours).

[0148] Therefore, as shown at the bottom of Table 4, in the case of spring / autumn, the idle period (1.5h) and the working period (0.5h) are repeated four times. Similarly, in the case of summer, the idle period (0.9h) and the working period (1.1h) are repeated four times, and in the case of winter, the idle period (1.9h) and the working period (0.1h) are repeated four times.

[0149] The control factor of air conditioner working time rating was set into 3 stages for the experiment.

[0150] In addition to the air conditioner operation time, the temperature and humidity conditions for each season and the conditions regarding the volume of the outdoor air provided can be set separately. In this case, the temperature and humidity conditions are set taking into account the average temperature and humidity for each season and the minimum temperature at which microorganisms can carry out metabolic activities. Further, the outdoor air volume is divided into three levels taking into account the number of air conditioner operation stages.

[0151] In this regard, the set conditions will be described below.

[0152] [Table 5]

[0153]

[0154] As described above, the optimal mode is calculated by appropriately combining the three control factors.

[0155] In this case, in order to promote the growth and metabolism of microorganisms and realize an air-conditioning odor similar to the odor of an actual vehicle, the temperature / humidity mode and the nutrient mode were divided and performed for 8 hours each.

[0156] In the temperature / humidity mode, the temperature and humidity of the air are controlled, and the air conditioner is driven at a set working time. The nutrient mode is a mode in which the air conditioner is driven at a set working time while providing nutrients.

[0157] [Table 6]

[0158]

[0159] As shown in Table 6, it can be verified that the 9 experimental results, especially experimental conditions #7 to #9, will quickly produce odors, and when the moldy and burning odors accumulate, considering that the moldy and burning odors will transform into rotten odors and rag odors, condition #8 can be used as the optimal condition.

[0160] By adopting this test condition, the regeneration of odor from the air conditioner can be accelerated by driving the device for accelerating the regeneration of odor from the air conditioner.

[0161] Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the biofilm layer generated in the evaporator core 31 can be regenerated, the odor generated by the biofilm layer generated in the evaporator core 31 can be collected through the collection hole 32 of the clamp shell 33, and the collected odor can be used as data to determine which microorganism causes the collected odor.

[0162] That is, the odor collected by the biofilm layer generated in the evaporator core 31 and the collecting holes 32 is analyzed to distinguish microorganisms that cause air conditioning odor from microorganisms that do not cause odor, and as a result, a basis for fundamentally removing air conditioning odor can be constructed.

[0163] At the same time, the device for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner according to the present invention is used as a technology for eliminating the odor problem of air conditioners in new cars, and a technology for analyzing the low-temperature concentration mechanism by utilizing VOCs inside the vehicle by introducing VOCs inside the vehicle into the evaporator core when operating the air supply and temperature / humidity controller.

[0164] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed in the appended claims. Further, many changes may be made to specific circumstances or materials without departing from the essential scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and will include all embodiments within the appended claims.

[0165] The invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these embodiments may be changed without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A device for accelerating the regeneration of odor from an air conditioner, the device comprising: A detachable microbial inoculation unit; a nutrient supply unit, the nutrient supply unit providing nutrients for the microorganisms inoculated in the microorganism inoculation unit; a collecting unit mounted on the vehicle and including an evaporator core fixture configured to mount the microorganism inoculation unit, guide floating microorganisms in the air, and inoculate the guided floating microorganisms into the microorganism inoculation unit; as well as a sample installation unit, the sample installation unit being used to install the microorganism inoculation unit on a movement path of nutrients provided from the nutrient supply unit; wherein the microorganism inoculation unit is mounted on the collection unit to inoculate the collected microorganisms, and subsequently, the microorganism inoculation unit is removed from the collection unit and mounted in the sample mounting unit; The microorganism inoculation unit is configured to be detachable from both the collection unit and the sample mounting unit, The apparatus further comprises an air supply and temperature / humidity controller configured to circulate temperature and humidity controlled air and supply the air to the microbial inoculation unit, the operating time of the air supply and temperature / humidity controller being controlled to accelerate the regeneration of odor; The nutrient supply unit provides the microorganism inoculation unit with at least one selected from the group consisting of urban air pollutants, exhaust gas, gasoline, diesel and VOC.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The microorganism inoculation unit is an evaporator core.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The microbial inoculation unit is an evaporator core, and The sample mounting unit includes a sample clamp unit, which includes a clamp housing, and the clamp housing forms a pipeline connected to the air supply and temperature / humidity controller to form a circulation loop, in which the air supplied from the air supply and temperature / humidity controller passes through the evaporator core and returns to the air supply and temperature / humidity controller.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein: The sample holder unit further includes an air blower installed at a rear end of the evaporator core within the holder housing.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein: The sample holder unit further comprises: a rectification grid mounted at the inlet of the evaporator core in the fixture housing; a second temperature / humidity sensor installed at an outlet of the evaporator core; a relative humidity meter connected to a lower end of the evaporator core; and An airflow meter is installed at the outlet of a connecting pipe, and the connecting pipe connects the outlet of the blower with the upper chamber.

6. The device according to claim 3, wherein: A collecting hole for collecting odor passing through the evaporator core is formed on the sample clamp unit, and the collecting hole is in the form of an opening at one end of the clamp housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: The microbial inoculation unit is an evaporator core, and The air supply and temperature / humidity controller further includes a temperature / humidity controller for controlling the temperature of air provided to the sample mounting unit.

8. The device according to claim 7, further comprising: a cooler refrigeration unit, the cooler refrigeration unit being used to provide cooling water to the evaporator core; as well as An electronic controller is installed at one side of the chamber housing and is used to control the sample holder unit, the cooler refrigeration unit, and the temperature / humidity controller under desired working conditions.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein: The temperature / humidity controller comprises: a supply air refrigeration unit, the supply air refrigeration unit comprising a cooling coil; a heater and a humidifying nozzle, the heater and the humidifying nozzle being sequentially mounted above a cooling coil of the air supply refrigeration unit; an indoor blower installed above the humidification nozzle to discharge the air passing through the cooling coil and to supply the discharged air to the sample holder unit; and A first temperature / humidity sensor is mounted in an internal component adjacent to the sample holder unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The microbial inoculation unit is an evaporator core, and The collecting unit is configured such that the evaporator core is detachable.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein: The evaporator core clamp is configured to further include an air filter for filtering air.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein: The evaporator core fixture comprises: a housing made of a rectangular body having an inlet formed on one surface and an outlet formed on the other surface, and an inclined surface for guiding air to the outlet formed on one surface corresponding to the inlet; a filter and core support mounted on a bottom surface within the housing; an air filter mounted above the filter and core support and adjacent the inlet; and An evaporator core is mounted above the filter and core support and adjacent to the outlet.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The evaporator core fixture comprises: a housing having an inclined air suction plate having an inlet formed on a front surface thereof, an outlet formed on a rear surface thereof, and a filter and core fixing plate having the same inclination angle as that of the inclined air suction plate and formed linearly on both inner surfaces of the housing, and An air filter and an evaporator core are mounted in a straight line front to back on each of the filter and core fixing plates in the housing.

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