Adaptive Vehicle Wash Equipment Contour Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle wash systems struggle to effectively wash vehicles of varying sizes and shapes, leading to potential damage due to inadequate equipment positioning and lack of real-time adjustments for conveyor speed and vehicle profile changes.
Innovation Solution
The system measures the contours of a vehicle using multiple sensors as it moves through the wash system, tracks the position of a fixed point relative to the conveyor, and adjusts wash equipment operations based on these measurements to ensure accurate and efficient cleaning, regardless of vehicle size or shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed wash equipment positioning is used, then equipment structure is simple, but cleaning effectiveness varies for different vehicle sizes and shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The wash equipment positioning is made dynamic through real-time adjustment based on measured vehicle contours. Sensors detect the actual vehicle dimensions and shape, and the control system dynamically repositions brushes, chemical applicators, and dryers to optimal locations for each specific vehicle, transforming a static system into an adaptive one that maintains cleaning effectiveness across all vehicle types.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (equipment position, conveyor speed, chemical application rate) based on measured vehicle characteristics. By measuring vehicle contour and calculating optimal parameters in real-time, the system adjusts equipment positioning and operational settings to match each vehicle's specific dimensions and shape, resolving the contradiction between fixed simplicity and adaptive effectiveness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pre-stored vehicle profiles are used, then wash equipment can be adjusted for different vehicles, but operator time and labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically measuring vehicle contours using sensors and autonomously determining optimal wash parameters without human intervention. The control system processes the measured data and automatically adjusts equipment positioning and operational settings, eliminating the need for operators to manually select profiles from databases and removing the associated time loss entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of operator profile selection is replaced with an automated sensing and control system. Optical or electronic sensors measure vehicle dimensions, and a computer control system processes this data to automatically adjust equipment parameters, substituting human operator actions with automated mechanical and electronic systems that achieve the same adaptability without time loss.
3Productivity
If wash equipment is positioned close to vehicle for small cars, then cleaning is effective, but vehicle damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by positioning different wash equipment elements at different distances from the vehicle based on local vehicle geometry. Rather than using a uniform safety distance for all vehicles, the control system calculates optimal positioning for each equipment element relative to the specific vehicle's contour at that location, allowing close positioning for cleaning effectiveness where safe and maintaining larger distances where damage risk exists.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from real-time vehicle contour measurement to continuously adjust equipment positioning. Sensors measure the actual distance between vehicle surfaces and equipment, and this feedback information is used by the control system to dynamically reposition equipment to optimal locations that maximize cleaning effectiveness while maintaining safe clearance distances, thereby reducing damage risk without sacrificing cleaning quality.
4Manufacturing precision
If real-time contour measurement is implemented, then equipment control precision improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by using a single integrated sensor array and control platform that handles multiple measurement and control functions. The same sensor system measures vehicle contour, determines equipment positioning, and provides data for operational parameter adjustment, eliminating the need for separate specialized systems for each function and reducing overall complexity despite the advanced capabilities required for high-precision control.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling wash equipment in an automated vehicle wash system having a conveyor includes, measuring one or more contours of a vehicle as the vehicle moves thorough an entry area of the automated vehicle wash system on the conveyor; tracking the distance a fixed point relative to the conveyor moves; associating the one or more contours of the vehicle with the position of the fixed point; determining, based on the one or more contours of the vehicle and the position of the fixed point, commands for operating the wash equipment; delivering the commands to the wash equipment; and operating the wash equipment in accordance with the commands.