UV Surface Irradiation Control for Targeted Vehicle Sterilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surface irradiation technologies for vehicles lack efficient and targeted methods to deliver a lethal dose of UV radiation for sterilizing high-touch areas, especially in environments where contamination is frequent, and do not account for varying radiation power and distance effectively.
Innovation Solution
The arrangement includes a UV radiation source, a reflector with drives for precise alignment, and a control device to set and determine the UV radiation dose, allowing for targeted and safe sterilization of high-touch areas in vehicles, with optional vacuum generation to enhance radiation efficiency and prevent human exposure during irradiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high radiation power is used for sterilization, then sterilization effectiveness is improved, but risk of human exposure and material damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device determines and tracks the administered UV radiation dose before completing sterilization, and can interrupt irradiation when a predefined dose is reached. This preliminary dosing control prevents over-irradiation that could cause material damage while ensuring sufficient sterilization effectiveness is achieved.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device continuously monitors the administered UV radiation dose and provides feedback to adjust or interrupt irradiation. This feedback mechanism ensures that the radiation dose remains within safe limits for materials and humans while achieving the required sterilization effectiveness.
2Reliability
If UV radiation is administered to all surfaces, then comprehensive sterilization is improved, but radiation time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The arrangement enables selective irradiation of specific high-touch areas that require sterilization, rather than uniformly irradiating all surfaces. The control device can target specific zones based on contamination risk, reducing overall radiation time and energy consumption while maintaining comprehensive sterilization of critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system administers UV radiation selectively to high-touch areas that are most prone to contamination, rather than treating all surfaces equally. This partial action approach achieves comprehensive sterilization of critical zones while significantly reducing total radiation time and energy consumption.
3Ease of operation
If reflector alignment is made adjustable, then accessibility to surfaces is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector is made adjustable and movable to enable dynamic alignment with different surfaces and areas requiring sterilization. This dynamic capability improves accessibility to various surfaces while the control device manages the complexity through automated positioning and tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical alignment of the reflector is replaced with an automated control system that can track and position the reflector electronically. This substitution reduces the mechanical complexity of manual adjustment mechanisms while maintaining or improving surface accessibility through automated control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures thorough and safe sterilization of vehicle surfaces with a lethal dose of UV radiation, reducing germ load by 99.9% while protecting interior materials and improving hygiene, with the ability to resume sterilization after interruptions and adapt to varying radiation conditions.
Implementation Method 1
at least one reflector (4) for directed radiation of the ultraviolet radiation onto the surface
Implementation Method 2
an optical system (7) may include a scattering lens (7.1) and a converging lens (7.2) downstream of the scattering lens (7.1) in the beam path
Implementation Method 3
at least one radiation source (3) which is designed to emit ultraviolet radiation
Implementation Method 4
By means of ultraviolet radiation, in particular UV-C radiation... a lethal dose sufficient for the germs to be combatted is obtained
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement for irradiating a surface includes a radiation source configured to emit ultraviolet radiation, a reflector for directional radiation of the ultraviolet radiation onto the surface, and a control device. A dose of the ultraviolet radiation required for sterilizing the surface and/or a dose already administered is settable and/or determinable by the control device.