Laundry Machine Drain Monitoring for Leak and Slow Drain Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washing machines often waste water and energy due to improper operation of the drain valve or pump, which can be caused by foreign objects or wear and tear, leading to undetected leaks and slow drainage, resulting in increased resource consumption and maintenance challenges.
Innovation Solution
A control system that automatically monitors the drain and pump operations during cycles and idle states, using customizable detection methods to alert users of potential issues, including leak and slow drain conditions, allowing for timely maintenance and reducing resource waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the drain valve or pump is monitored using traditional alarm time methods, then extreme water pressure conditions can be detected, but partial obstructions and slow drainage conditions cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into multiple independent detection methods: fill time monitoring, drain time monitoring, and water level monitoring. Each method targets specific failure modes, allowing precise detection of different obstruction levels without requiring a single complex monitoring system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs multiple measurements beyond what a single alarm time check provides. By measuring fill time, drain time, and water level changes separately, the system detects partial obstructions that would be missed by a simple alarm time threshold, achieving higher detection precision.
2Reliability
If the machine cycle time is extended to allow complete draining, then drainage issues can be detected, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from water level sensors during the drain cycle to determine when draining is complete. By monitoring water level changes in real-time and comparing them against expected values, the system can accurately detect drainage issues without extending the cycle time, thus maintaining energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring approach dynamically adjusts based on the actual drain cycle progress. The system evaluates drainage performance during the normal drain cycle rather than extending it, using real-time water level data to detect issues without increasing energy consumption.
3Reliability
If manual inspection of the drain or pump is performed, then foreign objects can be detected, but considerable time and effort are required
Solution Approach 1:
The washing machine performs self-diagnosis by automatically monitoring its own drain and pump operations during normal cycles. The controller tracks fill times, drain times, and water levels to detect malfunctions without requiring user intervention or manual inspection, saving considerable time and effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of drain and pump issues during normal operation before failures become critical. By continuously monitoring parameters during fill and drain cycles, the system identifies potential problems early, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual inspections later.
4Productivity
If the drain valve remains partially open to allow slow drainage, then complete blockages are avoided, but water leaks occur during retention periods
Solution Approach 1:
The water level sensor provides continuous feedback to the controller during the cycle. The controller monitors water level changes during retention periods and can detect abnormal drops that indicate leakage, allowing it to identify and alert users to the partially open valve condition without requiring manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for a laundry machine provides a system and method to automatically monitor the results of the drain or pump operation during normal operation of machine cycles, during unattended idle states as well as through specific diagnostic tests. By automatically monitoring the results of the drain or pump operation, the machine controller can warn the owner or servicer of the equipment that a machine requires service attention.