Vehicle Air Conditioning System with Odor Sensor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles, the confined space makes occupants highly sensitive to unusual smells, requiring frequent operation of air conditioners or windows for ventilation, which is burdensome and may not effectively maintain a comfortable environment unless operated at appropriate times.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioning system with an odor sensor device and control device that detects odor-causing substances, calculates differences in detected values over time, and controls the air conditioner and windows based on these differences to regulate the air quality and reduce unusual smells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If occupants frequently operate the air conditioner or open windows for ventilation, then unusual smells in the vehicle can be reduced, but the burden on occupants increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air conditioner system automatically detects odor-causing substances using sensors and adjusts its operation without requiring manual intervention from occupants. The control device autonomously determines ventilation needs and controls the air conditioner accordingly, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring continuous human operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses odor sensors to continuously monitor the air quality inside the vehicle and provides feedback to the control device. Based on the detected concentration of odor-causing substances, the control device adjusts the air conditioner's operation in real-time, creating a closed-loop control system that responds to actual environmental conditions.
2Ease of operation
If the air conditioner is stopped or window is closed to reduce operation burden, then occupants experience fewer operations, but the environment in the vehicle may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The odor sensors continuously monitor for odor-causing substances before they reach problematic levels. The control device receives advance warning and can proactively adjust the air conditioner's ventilation operation to prevent air quality deterioration, rather than waiting for occupants to notice and respond to bad smells.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual window opening/closing and air conditioner operation with an automated sensing and control system. Electronic sensors and control algorithms substitute for human physical actions, enabling the system to maintain air quality without requiring occupants to perform manual ventilation operations.
3Volume of moving object
If the vehicle space is narrow and closed, then vehicle structure is compact, but occupants become highly sensitive to unusual smells
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs multiple odor sensors positioned at different locations within the vehicle interior to detect odor-causing substances. By monitoring specific local areas where odors may accumulate or originate, the system can accurately assess air quality conditions in the confined space and respond appropriately to maintain comfort.
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
The system reduces unusual smells in the vehicle's interior with minimal burden on occupants by automatically adjusting ventilation and air conditioning, maintaining a more comfortable environment.
Implementation Method 1
a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor is known as an odor sensor, which has a film that absorbs odor-causing substances on a surface of a crystal resonator. The resonance frequency of the AT-cut crystal resonator changes with a mass variation. The QCM sensor detects the mass of a causative substance by causing the AT-cut crystal resonator to oscillate and detect the amount of change in resonance frequency.
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioning system includes: an air conditioner to regulate a state of air in a room; a sensor device including at least one detector to detect an amount of an odor-causing substance included in the air in the room; and a control device to control operation of the air conditioner. The control device includes: a first acquisition unit to acquire a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a first timing when a person is present in the room; a second acquisition unit to acquire a detected value of each of the at least one detector at a second timing later than the first timing; a difference calculator to calculate a difference between the detected value at the first timing and the detected value at the second timing; and an instruction unit to control operation of the air conditioner based on the difference.