Abstract
Research and/or Engineering Questions/Objective
The Problem of unpleasant smell from air conditioners (A/C) in used cars stemming from EVAPORATOR is hard to tackle because there have been not to exactly evaluate the kinds of the odors and the intensity of the odor. And also the odor componets can be harmful to the human body. The objective of this study was to evaluate the odor consistently and accurately using the electronic nose.
Methodology
First it needs to make an electronic nose consisting of 17 sensors. Each sensor can detect a specific odor components. For example, the one sensor of 17 sensors is electro-chemical sensor by SENKO. There are 4 groups of 17 sensors. The groups are PID sensors, Electro-Chemical sensors, Semi-Conductor sensors and IR sensors. And the feeling of odors were greatly affected by the temperature and the humidity. So the temperature and humidity sensor were added in the electronic nose sensor array. In this study an analysis of the odors of the components been carried out using about 600 used cars in field. In order to evaluate the odors it need to collect the data of outputs of sensors. According to collecting datum it can be made the odors database. And then the analysis of the database shows the classification of the groups of odors. Each odor group can mean the defferent feeling of odor. On the basis of this procedures finaly it can distinguish the odors of feeling. This study shows the electronic nose device and the method of the classification of the odor database.
Results
This paper will be showed the electronic nose device consist of 17 sensor array. And the odor database have completed by the measure of 200 used cars and 400 new cars by using the electronic nose. According to the odor databade, 3 category of air conditioner in used car will be presented on operateing mode for example blower on only, A/C on and A/C off with blowing. The 14 groups of the odor by classifying the odor datum will be presented. Each group means the different feeling of odors and also the different pattern diagram of odors for the different feeling of odors will be presented.
Limitations of this study
An important limitation of the current study is the limited odor database of 600 cars in the used cars and the new cars. Furthermore, the more database were collected, it will become more accurate. So the electronic nose requires the more database of odors. And Each group will need to match the feeling of odors by the feeling of the human nose
What does the paper offer that is new in the field including in comparison to other work by the authors?
The analysis and comparison with judging the kinds of odors and the intensity presented in this paper is new as well the results of the classifications of the odors from car air conditioning system different.
Conclusions
New electronic nose device have been developed. The electronic nose device can collect the odor database from the car. And the 14 different groups of odors will be showed in the used car air conditioner and new cars in cabin.
Key Words : Air Conditioner(A/C); Odor; Smell; VOCs; Electronic Nose; Sensor;Pattern