Valeo and Air Quality: Putting Comfort and Health First
Paris, France (ots/PRNewswire)
Valeo has been working on improving air quality in the cabin for many years. In order to promote user comfort and, above all, to provide better protection from pollution, Valeo has designed six innovative systems, creating new benchmarks in this field. The new systems not only protect the passengers in the vehicle from external pollution, but also counteract odors and purify the air in the cabin.
Increased, lasting protection from external pollution
Pollutant particles, especially from diesel fuel, are invisible to the naked eye, but can be harmful to humans. Particles, which can be smaller than one micron in diameter, are charged through a corona electrical field and collected on an electrostatic filter.
After this highly effective procedure, Valeo uses a photo-catalysis combined filter - composed of a blend of activated carbon and titanium dioxide, and an ultraviolet light source - which selfregenerates by photo-catalytic reaction, ie the UV lamp activates the decomposition of gas and micro-organisms due to the chemical reaction between the pollutants and the titanium dioxide. The advantage of this system is that filtering effectiveness is maintained throughout the life of the filter, ensuring optimal protection.
Odor-free air-conditioning
Unpleasant odors produced by the air-conditioning when it is switched on are a primary complaint among motorists, as the evaporators can trap malodorous gases and then release them suddenly when activated. Valeo's hydrophilic, biostatic, and chromium-free anti-odor coating consists of a layer of varnish applied directly to the aluminum, ensures perfect surface quality throughout the product's life thus eliminating the possibility of gases being trapped.
In the air filter, upstream of the evaporator, is a cartridge containing an active, volatile antiseptic compound, which migrates naturally within the air-conditioning system, destroying the bacteria and microbes that cause the offensive smell.
A breath of fresh air in the cabin
Pollution, in the form of gas and dust, and unpleasant smells, can also come from the cabin itself. The air-purification module with photo-catalytic filter is mounted into the cabin, and provides an additional action to deliver clean, safe air in air-con recycling mode. As well as eliminating noxious odors, Valeo's systems offer real protection to the health of the vehicle's occupants.
The ion generator, for example, emits positive and negative ions that catch airborne microbes and fungi, and neutralize them. This system, known as the "Plasmacluster Ion" testifies to the Group's capacity to innovate.
Contact:
Contact: Sophie Porte, Telephone number: +33-(0)1-40-55-37-68,
E-mail: sophie.porte@valeo.com