Wading Vehicle Control System Ultrasonic Water Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for detecting and preparing vehicles for wading events, such as traveling through water, are inadequate as they often rely on driver judgment and do not effectively predict or prepare for wading situations until the vehicle is partially submerged, risking engine and electronics damage.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system equipped with remote sensors, such as ultrasonic transducers, and contact sensors that detect water presence and depth, allowing for pre-emptive control strategies like suspending engine shutdown, adjusting ride height, and activating four-wheel drive to be implemented before the vehicle reaches maximum wading depth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If driver judgment is used to determine wading depth, then the vehicle can operate without additional sensors, but the vehicle cannot reliably detect water depth and terrain conditions ahead
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is divided into multiple ultrasonic transducers positioned at different locations (front bumper, rear bumper, side mirrors) to detect water presence at various depths and positions, providing comprehensive coverage without requiring a single complex sensor system
Solution Approach 2:
The remote ultrasonic sensors detect water presence ahead of the vehicle before the vehicle enters the water, allowing the control system to prepare protective measures in advance, such as preventing engine shutdown or adjusting vehicle settings before water ingress can occur
2Reliability
If the vehicle waits until partial submersion to detect wading, then the sensor system remains simple, but the engine and electronics are at risk of water damage
Solution Approach 1:
The control system receives input from remote sensors that detect water presence before the vehicle body is submerged, triggering protective measures in advance such as preventing engine shutdown, adjusting ride height, or activating four-wheel drive before water can damage critical components
Solution Approach 2:
The control system takes preventive action by modifying vehicle operation parameters before water ingress can occur, such as disabling the automatic engine shutdown function or adjusting suspension settings to prevent water from reaching vulnerable areas
3Loss of time
If remote sensors are positioned high on the vehicle to detect water early, then water detection range is increased, but the sensors cannot detect water until the vehicle is already in deep water
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple ultrasonic transducers are positioned at different heights and locations on the vehicle (front bumper, rear bumper, side mirrors) to create a distributed detection network that provides both early warning capability and accurate depth measurement at various vehicle positions
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors signals from multiple sensor locations and uses this feedback to determine both the presence and depth of water, adjusting vehicle control parameters based on the combined information from all sensor positions
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
The system effectively predicts and prepares the vehicle for wading events, preventing water ingress into critical systems and ensuring safe passage through deep water by initiating protective measures before partial submersion.
Implementation Method 1
a downwardly facing ultrasound transducer is used to estimate a wading depth
Implementation Method 2
the sensor emitting a signal and by the same or another sensor receiving a reflection of that signal
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle having a system for determining that there is a possibility that the vehicle has or is about to enter water at a vehicle wading depth. In response to determining that there is a possibility that the vehicle has or is about to enter water at a vehicle wading depth, the system is configured to implement one or more vehicle control strategies. The system comprises at least one remote sensor configured to remotely detect the presence of water about or ahead of the vehicle.