UV Light Source Power Allocation in Vehicle Lavatories
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in integrating a UV light source for disinfection into vehicle lavatories without exceeding the existing power budget, as the power requirements for UV light sources are often not considered in the design, leading to insufficient power for simultaneous operation with other lavatory devices, especially in scenarios where installing additional power feeders is costly or impractical.
Innovation Solution
A system with a switch and activation control system that selectively couples either the UV light source or the lavatory devices to the input power, allowing the UV light source to be activated by decoupling it from the power when lavatory devices are in use, and vice versa, using a power converter to condition the input power for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a UV light source is integrated into the vehicle lavatory for disinfection, then the disinfection capability is improved, but the power availability for simultaneous operation with other lavatory devices becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between different operational states: during occupied periods, lavatory devices receive power for normal operation; during unoccupied periods, the UV light source receives power for disinfection. This dynamic power allocation resolves the contradiction by making power distribution adaptive to real-time needs rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The UV light source operates periodically based on occupancy detection. The system activates disinfection cycles during unoccupied periods when power can be reallocated from lavatory devices, creating a periodic operation pattern that ensures both disinfection effectiveness and power constraint compliance.
2Use of energy by moving object
If additional power feeders are installed to support UV light source operation, then the power availability is improved, but the installation cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The existing power system is designed to serve multiple functions: powering lavatory devices during occupied periods and powering the UV light source during unoccupied periods. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate power feeders, reducing installation complexity while maintaining adequate power availability for disinfection operations.
3Reliability
If the UV light source is activated simultaneously with lavatory devices, then the disinfection effectiveness is improved, but the power consumption exceeds the available power budget
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic power switching based on real-time occupancy status. When occupants are present, lavatory devices operate normally and the UV light source remains inactive. When the lavatory is unoccupied, power is switched to activate the UV light source for disinfection. This dynamic approach ensures disinfection effectiveness while preventing power budget exhaustion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts the UV light source operation from simultaneous operation with lavatory devices by separating their operational timeframes. Power is allocated to the UV light source exclusively during unoccupied periods, effectively removing the power conflict that would arise from simultaneous operation while maintaining disinfection effectiveness.
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 ensures that the UV light source can be effectively activated to disinfect the environment without compromising the operation of other lavatory devices, even with limited power availability, by prioritizing power allocation between the UV light source and the lavatory devices, thus achieving antimicrobial efficacy while meeting power constraints.
Implementation Method 1
a UV light source in the lavatory and configured to emit UV light when activated
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, a system for disinfecting a lavatory in a vehicle includes a UV light source in the lavatory and configured to emit UV light when activated. The system also includes a switch actuatable between a first state and a second state. The switch is configured to: (i) while in the first state, provide an input power from a power source of the vehicle to a lavatory device in the lavatory, and (ii) while in the second state, provide the input power from the power source to the UV light source and cease providing the input power to the lavatory device. The system further includes an activation control system configured to actuate the switch between the first state and the second state to deactivate and activate the UV light source, respectively. The input power is insufficient to simultaneously operate the lavatory device and activate the UV light source.