Smart Hose Power-Line Communication for Spray Foam Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) systems face inefficiencies due to the distance between the proportioning system and the spray foam applicator, leading to poor foam quality and reduced yield, as the applicator lacks real-time access to critical system information and diagnostic data, and must navigate through Personal Protective Equipment to adjust settings or retrieve information.
Innovation Solution
Integration of electrically conductive elements within fluid conduits to enable Power Line Communication (PLC), allowing data and power to be transmitted through the hoses, eliminating the need for extra cables and enabling real-time communication and control between the proportioner system and the spray gun, with slave hubs processing and displaying information locally or relaying it to the master hub.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the proportioner system is located at a distance from the spray foam applicator, then the system can serve larger work areas, but real-time communication and control become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A wireless communication system acts as an intermediary between the proportioner system and spray foam applicator. The system includes a controller in the proportioner system that wirelessly transmits operational parameters (flow rates, pressures, temperatures) and receives diagnostic data from sensors at the spray gun, enabling real-time information exchange without physical proximity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces physical wiring and mechanical connection systems with wireless communication technology. Instead of using cables to transmit data and power between the proportioner system and spray gun, the system uses wireless signals (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or proprietary radio frequency communication) to transmit information across the work area
2Reliability
If the applicator must navigate through Personal Protective Equipment to adjust settings, then safety is maintained, but operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The spray gun incorporates a local display and control interface that allows the applicator to monitor system parameters and adjust settings directly at the application point. The wireless communication system enables the spray gun to autonomously receive commands from the proportioner system and provide feedback, reducing the need for the applicator to remove PPE for adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The control interface is moved from the proportioner system (remote location) to the spray gun (local position at application point). This spatial repositioning allows the applicator to access controls and information in the same dimension where they are working, eliminating the need to navigate through PPE to reach remote controls
3Loss of information
If additional cables and wiring are added for communication, then real-time control is enabled, but system complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wiring system with a wireless communication system. The proportioner system controller and spray gun communicate through wireless signals, eliminating the need for additional cables, connectors, and physical wiring infrastructure while maintaining real-time data transmission capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication system serves multiple functions simultaneously: transmitting operational parameters, receiving diagnostic data, providing remote monitoring capabilities, and enabling control commands. This multi-functionality replaces what would otherwise require separate dedicated cables for each function, reducing overall system complexity
4Ease of operation
If the proportioner system is far from the spray gun, then mobility is improved, but diagnostic capability and control precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication system acts as an intermediary that bridges the physical distance between the proportioner system and spray gun. It continuously transmits diagnostic data from sensors at the spray gun back to the proportioner system controller, maintaining precise monitoring and control capabilities despite the physical separation that enables applicator mobility
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements real-time feedback through wireless communication. Sensors at the spray gun continuously monitor parameters (temperature, pressure, flow rates) and transmit this data wirelessly back to the proportioner system controller, which uses the feedback to maintain precise control and diagnostic capability regardless of the distance between components
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 enhances real-time communication and control, improving foam quality and operational efficiency by allowing critical information to be accessed directly at the spray gun, reducing the need for additional wiring and enhancing reliability, while also providing power to sensors and actuators.
Implementation Method 1
a first electrically conductive element configured to deliver electricity through a length of the smart hose
Implementation Method 2
Integration of electrically conductive elements within fluid conduits to enable Power Line Communication (PLC), allowing data and power to be transmitted through the hoses
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid delivery system includes a smart hose. The smart hose includes a fluid conduit configured to deliver a fluid. The smart hose further includes a first electrically conductive element configured to deliver electricity through a length of the smart hose. The fluid delivery system further includes master hub disposed on a fluid delivery device. The fluid delivery system also includes at least one slave hub disposed on the smart hose and communicatively coupled to the master hub.