Reading time: Ca. 4 min. | An article by Florian Wagner | TUNAP Blog
Electronic nose sniffs out MVOC
TUNAP has been researching and developing in the field of air conditioning cleaning and hygiene for over 20 years. With the airco well® Sensor, the airco well® product family has now a new member. The sensor has an electronic nose that can identify the microbially volatile organic compounds (MVOC) that are emitted by the air conditioning system.
Pollution and odors in vehicle air conditioning systems
These microorganisms can multiply over time, form unpleasant odors and impair the well-being and health of the vehicle occupants.
This can happen if car air conditioning systems are not switched on for a long time after organic substances have entered the air at mild temperatures and high humidity.
It is assumed that the microorganisms feed on organic trace substances that are accumulated in the air conditioning system.
Highly selective 3-layer sensor technology
With the airco well® Sensor, TUNAP has now achieved an innovation in the field of air conditioning cleaning and hygiene. Using specially developed 3-layer sensor technology, the highly selective sensor detects the undesired microbial colonization of the air conditioning system and measures the success of the cleaning process.
Examination by the bifa environmental institute
The airco well® Sensor was developed in cooperation with well-known research institutions. The bifa environmental institute also took a close look at the TUNAP technology:
The investigation was intended to clarify whether the airco well® sensor can actually detect the pollution and odorous substances that regularly occur in contaminated car air conditioning systems.
Test passed
In the test, bacteria and fungi frequently registered in car air-conditioning systems with noticeable odours were incubated in concentrations customary in practice. They were stored at room temperature for up to 262 hours in a low-odour culture medium.
Then the batches were flowed through with air and the exiting air was analyzed using the airco well® Sensor. Details on the test procedure can be found here.
The investigation by the bifa environmental institute confirmed that the airco well® Sensor is able to register the MVOCs formed by the test germs in various concentrations. In addition, the electronic nose detected the volatile substances formed by Candida yeast, which are often found in contaminated car air conditioning systems.
From April 2021 in certified partner workshops
The airco well® Sensor is currently undergoing its final market-testing phase. After conducting several years of development work on the sensor, we have now turned our attention to the job of determining the acceptance, usability and measurement reliability of airco well® sensors in the daily operations of car dealerships and workshops in international automotive markets.
From April 2021, more and more certified partner workshops will offer measurements with the airco well® Sensor.
