Vehicle Air Pollution Control Device for Dynamic Risk-Based Air Supply

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current air depollution systems in vehicles often renew indoor air with outdoor air regardless of its quality, leading to suboptimal pollution control, especially when exterior and interior pollution coexist, without considering passenger-specific parameters.

Innovation Solution

An air pollution control device that estimates pollution risk based on external air quality, passenger health, and humidity levels to control the supply flap and depollution system, optimizing air intake from inside, outside, or a combination of both, to improve passenger comfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the pollution control phase supplies exclusively recirculated air to purify the air, then the concentration of pollutants is reduced, but the air inside the vehicle cannot be renewed with outside air even when outside air quality is good

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepollutant concentrationVSAvoidair supply adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the supply flap position between closed (recirculation mode) and open (fresh air mode) based on real-time risk assessment. The control means modifies the air supply strategy according to estimated pollution risk, physiological risk, and fogging risk, transitioning from static recirculation to adaptive mixed-mode operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters by estimating multiple risk parameters (pollution risk from outdoor air quality data, physiological risk from CO2 concentration and passenger health data, fogging risk from humidity levels) and adjusts the supply flap position and pollution control means operation accordingly to optimize air quality and passenger comfort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If the supply flap is opened to renew air with outside air, then air renewal is achieved, but highly polluted outside air may be introduced into the passenger compartment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair renewal rateVSAvoidpollutant exposure
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses outdoor air quality data as feedback to determine when to open the supply flap. The analytical means estimates pollution risk based on external air quality, and the control means adjusts the supply flap position accordingly, opening it only when pollution risk is low and closing it when pollution risk is high, creating a closed-loop control system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary assessment of outdoor air quality and risk parameters before opening the supply flap. By estimating pollution risk in advance using outdoor air quality data, the system prevents introduction of polluted air by keeping the flap closed until conditions are safe for fresh air intake.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the pollution control phase duration is predetermined to reduce CO2 and water vapor, then internal pollution control is maintained, but the system does not optimize based on passenger-specific parameters and external air quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinternal air quality controlVSAvoidparameter-based optimization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system estimates multiple parameters including CO2 concentration, humidity level, number of passengers, and their physical and health parameters to calculate physiological risk and fogging risk. This multi-parameter approach replaces simple time-based control with adaptive control based on actual air quality conditions and passenger characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The control means dynamically adjusts the air supply strategy based on real-time estimation of physiological risk (from CO2 and passenger health data) and fogging risk (from humidity and passenger data). The system transitions from static predetermined duration control to dynamic risk-based control that adapts to changing conditions inside the vehicle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3455094B1Vehicle air pollution-control device for removing pollution according to the risk of pollution and to the physiological risk and/or to the risk of misting
Publication Date: 2020.04.29 PSA AUTOMOBILES SA
  • EP3455094B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3455094B1 patent drawing

AI summary

An air pollution-control device (DD) is fitted to a vehicle (V) comprising a vehicle interior (H) and a supply flap able to adopt closed, open and intermediate positions allowing the vehicle interior (H) to be supplied with interior air, exterior air and interior and exterior air. This device (DD) comprises pollution-control means (MD) designed to remove pollution from the air supplied to the vehicle interior (H), analysis means (M A) designed to estimate a risk of pollution according to data indicative of the exterior-air quality, and physiological risks and/or risks of misting according to at least a concentration of carbon dioxide gas and/or to a moisture content within the vehicle interior (H), to the number of passengers, and to physical and health parameters pertaining to the passengers, and control means (MCT) designed to control the position of the supply flap and the operation of the pollution-control means (MD) according to the estimated risks of pollution, to the estimated physiological risks and/or to the estimated risks of misting.