In-car Air Quality - A Global Approach to Enhance Comfort

Over the last few years, public sensitivity to the environment and pollution has increased regularly around the world. People are now aware that atmospheric pollutants such as particles and gases have a strong impact on their lifestyle and health.

Air quality solutions have therefore been introduced to treat the air delivered in the cabin. Initially, particle filters, gas filters and air quality sensors have been integrated into high car segment. Following this first introduction, filters and detection systems have been generalized to high and middle car segments. Recently new products and functionalities have been proposed to enhance air quality level in the cabin:

• Highly efficient purification units,
• Air quality system approach,
• Module approach and new functions for comfort enhancement.

The first part of the paper summarized the air quality criteria to consider and the current solutions currently used to treat pollution in the cabin. The second part is focused on recent work dealing with improved purification systems (filtration of fine particles, air quality detection systems) and module approach.