Urine Odor Compound Identification in Air Conditioners

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Solution Overview

Problem

Air conditioning systems face challenges in maintaining indoor air quality due to offensive odors such as urine odor, which are not effectively addressed by current technologies, as the specific compounds causing these odors are unknown and their amounts are unclear.

Innovation Solution

A method is developed to identify and analyze the compounds contributing to urine odor from air conditioners, which involves collecting and analyzing gases emitted, and then reproducing the odor using specific compounds like acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, toluene, and xylene, to create a urine odor composition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If air conditioning systems operate in airtight buildings, then indoor temperature control is improved, but indoor air quality deteriorates due to accumulation of odor-causing compounds

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindoor temperature controlVSAvoidindoor air quality

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and identifies specific odor-causing compounds (acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene, ketones, esters) from the air conditioner exhaust gas, separating them from the complex mixture of emissions to understand their contribution to urine odor specifically

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) as an intermediary tool to detect, separate, and analyze the chemical composition of odor-causing substances in the exhaust gas, enabling identification of specific compounds without direct contact with the complex emission mixture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If the causes of urine odor are unknown, then comprehensive odor analysis is difficult, but identifying specific compounds enables targeted odor removal strategies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveodor cause identificationVSAvoidodor analysis complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex odor problem into specific identifiable compounds by using GC-MS analysis, dividing the unknown odor mixture into individual chemical components that can be separately identified and quantified

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical odor detection methods with chemical analysis techniques (GC-MS) to identify specific compounds, substituting physical odor perception with scientific measurement and identification methods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8852946B2Method for detecting urine odor from air conditioner, reproducing urine odor and preparing corresponding urine odor composition

Publication Date: 2014.10.07 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed herein is a method for identifying the compounds contributing to urine odor emitting from an air conditioner, a method for artificially reproducing the detected urine odor, and preparing a corresponding urine odor composition. Through the analysis method of the present invention, the compounds contributing to the urine odor emitted from an air conditioner may be identified and quantified. The detected urine odor may be reproduced from a combination of the compounds identified by the analysis method of the present invention. The reproduced urine odor may provide meaningful data required for development of an apparatus and a method for removing specific odor.