Bye bye, Covid? Hyundai develops aircon that cleans air
Bye bye, Covid? Hyundai develops aircon that cleans air
Right now, we all have a thing about bugs. We don’t want nasty stuff floating around in the air. But we all know that this does exist – otherwise almost 19 million people would not have contracted Covid-19 by now. Bearing this in mind, we are pleased to announce big news: Hyundai Motor Group is working on new technologies to improve the quality of air in vehicles.
The group has unveiled three new air-conditioning technologies: After-Blow, Multi-Air Mode and Fine Dust Indicator. The technologies will be introduced initially on select models in Korea and will expand to upcoming Kia, Hyundai and Genesis vehicles worldwide.
After-Blow Technology
After-Blow dries the condensate on the evaporator and suppresses mould growth in the air-conditioning system, which can cause an odour during hot weather.
After the engine is turned off and the condensate on the evaporator drains naturally for about 30 minutes, After-Blow activates for 10 minutes to dry the evaporator and any condensate leftover in the air passage. The air-conditioning system automatically allows an influx of outside air during this time to prevent humidity from building up.
The technology uses an intelligent battery sensor (IBS) to monitor the battery and stops functioning when the battery is low, allaying any concerns about battery discharge. It also deactivates when the air-conditioning system is not in use for a certain period, or when the outside temperature is low.
Multi-Air Mode Technology
Multi-Air Mode uses multiple vents for air conditioning and heating to create a more pleasant in-car environment with gentle air flow.
When this mode is activated, the air is dispersed to the newly added multi-air slots in the driver and passenger seats, in addition to the normal air vents. The overall wind volume remains the same, but the dispersion of wind reduces direct air contact and softens the air.
This mode can be switched on and off according to the driver’s preference.
Fine Dust Indicator Technology
Fine Dust Indicator measures the air inside the vehicle in real time and delivers digitised information, allowing the driver to better manage the air quality.
The indicator displays the concentration and pollution level of ultrafine particles (PM 2.5) inside the vehicle, using integer numbers and colours for better visibility to the user: blue for 0 to 15 μg/m3, green for 16 to 35 μg/m3, orange for 36 to 75 μg/m3, and red for 76 μg/m3 or higher.
If the level of ultrafine particles exceeds 36 μg /m3 while the function is active, the air-cleaning mode will run to purify the air in the vehicle. The air-cleaning system automatically sets the air volume between three and eight and switches to air-recirculation mode and activates the air-conditioning system to reduce in-car humidity. If the air does not improve in air-cleaning mode, it can also serve as a reminder to the driver to replace air-conditioner filters or to clean contaminated seats and mats.
For more information about how these technologies work, view the video below.