Shuttle Car Segmentation for Automated Parking Speed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automated vehicle parking garages face inefficiencies in vehicle storage and retrieval due to limitations in shuttle car technology, which lack flexibility, maintenance ease, and fault tolerance.
Innovation Solution
The system employs independent x-shuttles and z-shuttles that independently locate a vehicle's tires, lift it, and transport it to parking spots, featuring redundant and interchangeable components for improved maintenance and flexibility, allowing for faster storage and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a conventional single unitary platform shuttle car is used, then the structure is simple, but the storage and retrieval speed is slow and flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The shuttle car is divided into multiple independent modules: a base platform and multiple lift modules. Each lift module can independently raise or lower vehicles, allowing parallel operation and faster storage/retrieval. The segmentation enables the system to handle multiple vehicles simultaneously and improves overall throughput while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The lift modules are designed to be dynamically adjustable, with each module capable of independent vertical movement to accommodate vehicles of different heights. The system can adapt its configuration based on real-time needs, such as adjusting lift positions for maintenance access or optimizing space utilization, thereby improving both speed and flexibility without excessive complexity.
2Ease of repair
If a conventional single unitary platform shuttle car is used, then the structure is simple, but maintenance accessibility and fault tolerance are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The modular architecture separates the base platform from multiple independent lift modules, each with its own drive mechanism and components. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and service individual lift modules without affecting the entire shuttle car. Fault isolation is improved because a malfunction in one module does not compromise the others, and replacement can be performed on a per-module basis.
Solution Approach 2:
The lift modules are designed with standardized interfaces and interchangeable components, allowing a single module design to serve multiple functions and positions within the shuttle car. This universality simplifies maintenance training and parts inventory management while improving accessibility, as the same maintenance procedures apply regardless of which module requires service.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional single unitary platform shuttle car is used, then the system lacks flexibility, but the design is straightforward
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates dynamically adjustable lift modules that can be positioned at different vertical levels and configured to accommodate various vehicle types and sizes. The base platform can adapt its configuration based on operational requirements, providing flexibility for different parking garage layouts and vehicle specifications while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through modular repetition.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized lift module design serves multiple functions: transporting vehicles vertically, providing maintenance access points, and adapting to different vehicle configurations. This multi-functionality increases system flexibility without proportionally increasing complexity, as the same modular components perform diverse roles based on their positioning and configuration within the shuttle car.
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 configuration enhances storage and retrieval speed, maintenance accessibility, and fault tolerance, enabling efficient operation and rapid component replacement within the automated parking facility.
Implementation Method 1
capable of raising a vehicle using hydraulic or other means
Data Source
AI summary
A system of shuttle cars for transporting a vehicle in an automated parking facility. Each shuttle car includes an x-shuttle that supports two z-shuttles. The z-shuttles move from the x-shuttle and under the vehicle for transport. The z-shuttles locate and engage the front and rear tires of a vehicle to lift the vehicle from the floor. Once the z-shuttles have engage the vehicle tires, the z-shuttles return to the x-shuttle so that the x-shuttle can transport the vehicle (and the z-shuttles) to and from the appropriate parking space.