Autonomous Vehicle Sensor Assembly With Isolated Air-Cleaning Chambers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor assemblies in autonomous vehicles face challenges in efficiently cleaning and maintaining sensor windows while minimizing energy consumption and reducing noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) due to the need for independent pressurization of chambers to manage airflow and stagnation pressure.
Innovation Solution
A sensor assembly with a housing featuring fluidly isolated front and rear chambers, each with dedicated air inlets and outlets, and blowers that create air curtains or streams to clean sensor windows, allowing for independent control of airflow and pressure to neutralize stagnation pressure and reduce energy consumption and NVH.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If simultaneous pressurization of all chambers is used to clean sensor windows, then cleaning coverage is improved, but energy consumption increases and NVH increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple fluidly isolated chambers (first chamber, second chamber, third chamber) that can be independently pressurized. This segmentation allows the system to apply pressure only to the specific chamber containing a sensor window that needs cleaning, rather than pressurizing all chambers simultaneously, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining effective cleaning coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
Each chamber is equipped with its own blower and air outlet positioned to direct airflow at the corresponding sensor window. This local quality approach enables targeted cleaning of individual sensor windows based on their specific contamination needs, improving energy efficiency by avoiding unnecessary pressurization of chambers with clean sensors.
2Reliability
If simultaneous pressurization of all chambers is used to clean sensor windows, then cleaning coverage is improved, but NVH increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple fluidly isolated chambers (first chamber, second chamber, third chamber) that can be independently pressurized. This segmentation allows the system to activate blowers only in chambers that require cleaning, reducing the overall noise and vibration generated by the system compared to simultaneous pressurization of all chambers.
Solution Approach 2:
Each chamber has dedicated blowers and air outlets positioned to target specific sensor windows. This localized approach generates noise and vibration only where necessary, minimizing overall NVH while maintaining effective cleaning of the required sensor windows.
3Productivity
If chamber pressurization is increased to improve cleaning efficiency, then cleaning speed is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the pressurization level of each chamber based on real-time sensor data from contamination sensors. When a sensor window requires cleaning, the corresponding blower increases pressure to an optimal level for efficient cleaning. When sensors are clean, pressurization is reduced or stopped, maintaining high cleaning efficiency when needed while minimizing energy consumption during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Contamination sensors monitor the cleanliness of each sensor window and provide feedback to the control system. Based on this feedback, the control system activates or deactivates individual blowers and adjusts pressurization levels, ensuring that energy-intensive pressurization is applied only when and where contamination is detected, thereby optimizing the balance between cleaning efficiency and energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively cleans sensor windows while reducing energy consumption and NVH by allowing selective pressurization of chambers based on cleaning needs, utilizing ram air to minimize additional pressurization requirements and optimizing airflow for efficient window maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
The air outlet is positioned to direct airflow across the sensor window, creating an air curtain that prevents contaminants from adhering to the window surface.
Implementation Method 2
the first chamber including an air inlet and the second chamber including an air outlet, an interior wall between the first chamber and the second chamber, a blower extending through the interior wall
Implementation Method 3
The air outlet is positioned to direct airflow across the sensor window... aimed at the sensor window
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor assembly includes a housing having a front chamber and a rear chamber fluidly isolated from the front chamber. The rear chamber includes a rear sensor window and the front chamber includes a front sensor window. The rear chamber includes a rear air inlet and a rear air outlet. The rear air outlet is aimed at the rear sensor window. The front chamber includes a front air inlet and a front air outlet. The front air inlet is aimed at the front sensor window.