US-12616947-B2 - Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling dilution rates

US12616947B2US 12616947 B2US12616947 B2US 12616947B2US-12616947-B2

Abstract

A fluid dilution control system includes a processor and a plurality of sensors communicatively coupled to the processor. Each of the plurality of sensors is configured to sense a tracer component in a mixed solution of solution and motive fluid, where the tracer component is present in a pre-defined amount in the solution prior to being mixed with the motive fluid in the mixed solution. Each of the plurality of sensors senses a level of the tracer component present in the mixed solution and transmits the sensed information to the processor such that the processor compares the sensed level of each tracer component to a target level of a respective tracer component and causes a rate of dilution of one or more solutions containing the sensed tracer component to be adjusted to reach the target level of the respective tracer component.

Inventors

Nathan Schlueter
Ken Martin
Caleb Hatch
Andrew Edmunds
Curtis A. Carlson
Daniel Longhenry
Pa Mong Xiong
Megan Ren

Assignees

SONNY'S HFI HOLDINGS, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20221028

Claims (12)

1 . A fluid dilution control system, comprising: a processor; a solution delivery system comprising a plurality of actuators, a plurality of fluid chambers, and a plurality of metering devices, wherein each of the plurality of actuators is coupled to a fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers, and each of the plurality of metering devices is coupled to a fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers; and a plurality of sensors communicatively coupled to the processor, each of the plurality of sensors arranged downstream of a respective fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers and configured to sense a tracer component in a mixed solution of solution and motive fluid formed in the respective fluid chamber, the tracer component present in a pre-defined amount in the solution prior to being mixed in the mixed solution, wherein each of the plurality of sensors senses a level of the tracer component present in the mixed solution and transmits the sensed information to the processor, wherein the processor compares the sensed level of each tracer component to a target level of a respective tracer component, and wherein the processor causes at least one metering device of the plurality of metering devices to adjust a rate of dilution of at least one solution containing the sensed tracer component to reach the target level of the respective tracer component.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor confirms a target dilution rate has been reached by determining an adjusted level of the tracer component present in the mixed solution corresponds to the target level of the respective tracer component.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of sensors is coupled to a fluid line holding the mixed solution containing the respective tracer component, wherein the fluid line is arranged downstream from a respective metering device and from a motive fluid source.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one metering device of the plurality of metering devices comprises a solution inlet of an eductor configured to receive the solution and the motive fluid in a mixing chamber thereof, and wherein a size of an orifice supplying the solution to the solution inlet is adjusted to reach the target level of the respective tracer component.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one metering device of the plurality of metering devices comprises a positive displacement pump configured to impinge on a solution delivery tube of the at least one metering device, and wherein a rate of displacement of the solution from the solution delivery tube is adjusted to reach the target level of the respective tracer component.
6 . A fluid dilution control system, comprising: a processor; a solution delivery system comprising a plurality of actuators, a plurality of fluid chambers, and a plurality of metering devices, wherein each of the plurality of actuators is coupled to a fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers, and each of the plurality of metering devices is coupled to a fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers, wherein each of the plurality of actuators is coupled to a motive fluid supply and configured to be actuated to cause motive fluid from the motive fluid supply to flow into a port of a corresponding fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers, wherein each of the plurality of fluid chambers is configured to receive the motive fluid and a solution and form a mixed solution therein, wherein each of the plurality of metering devices is configured to deliver the solution to a corresponding fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers and meters the solution into the fluid chamber at a selected metering rate; and a plurality of sensors each communicatively coupled to the processor and arranged downstream of a different fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is configured to sense a tracer component in the mixed solution formed in one of the plurality of fluid chambers, the tracer component present in a pre-defined amount in the solution prior to being mixed in the mixed solution, wherein each of the plurality of sensors senses a level of the tracer component present in the mixed solution and transmits the sensed information to the processor, wherein the processor compares the sensed level of each tracer component to a target level of a respective tracer component, and wherein based on the comparison, the processor causes at least one metering device of the plurality of metering devices to adjust the selected metering rate to reach the target level of the respective tracer component.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the motive fluid supply coupled to the plurality of actuators is a common motive fluid supply coupled to a pump configured to deliver the motive fluid at a constant pressure.
8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of sensors is coupled to a fluid line arranged downstream of the plurality of fluid chambers.
9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of metering devices comprises a solution inlet of an eductor, and wherein a size of an orifice supplying the solution to the solution inlet is adjusted to adjust a level of solution dispensed into the motive fluid.
10 . The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of metering devices comprises a positive displacement pump configured to impinge on a solution delivery tube of the metering device, and wherein a rate of displacement of the solution from the solution delivery tube is adjusted to reach the target level of the respective tracer component.
11 . A computer network for controlling and adjusting fluid dilution, comprising: a plurality of communications gateways, each located at a location, wherein the location is different from locations of other communications gateways from the plurality of communications gateways; and at least one fluid dilution control system communicatively coupled to each communications gateway, the at least one fluid dilution control system comprising: an onboard processor; a solution delivery system comprising a plurality of actuators, a plurality of fluid chambers, and a plurality of metering devices, wherein each of the plurality of actuators is coupled to a fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers, and each of the plurality of metering devices is coupled to a fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers; and a plurality of sensors communicatively coupled to the processor, each of the plurality of sensors arranged downstream of a respective fluid chamber of the plurality of fluid chambers and configured to sense a tracer component in a mixed solution of solution and motive fluid formed in the respective fluid chamber, the tracer component present in a pre-defined amount in the solution prior to being mixed in the mixed solution; wherein the processor is configured to receive a signal from an external controller located at the location, the signal for metering a level of solution to reach a selected dilution rate, wherein each of the plurality of sensors senses a level of the tracer component present in the mixed solution and transmits the sensed information to the processor, wherein the processor compares the sensed level of each tracer component to a target level of a respective tracer component corresponding to the selected dilution rate, and wherein the processor causes at least one metering device of the plurality of metering devices to adjust a rate of dilution of at least one solution containing the sensed tracer component to reach the target level of the respective tracer component.
12 . The computer network of claim 11 , wherein the processor causes the rate of dilution of the at least one solution to be adjusted by generating a separate signal from the signal received by the external controller, and sending the generated signal to a metering device configured to adjust the rate of dilution.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/274,564, filed Nov. 2, 2021, entitled “System and Methods for Monitoring and Controlling the Dilution Rates,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated in the entirety and for all purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD Dilution control systems sense and control dilution rates of mixed solutions, and more particularly sense a level of a tracer in mixed solutions to control dilution rates of solution delivery systems. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Monitoring the dispensing of chemicals using feedback sensors typically involves detecting the presence of an object, such as a vehicle in a car wash, using ultrasonic or photoelectric sensors and dispensing fluids in locations where the vehicle is positioned. Photoelectric sensors (e.g., photo eyes) may use infrared light to detect the presence of objects, which may result in fluid delivery equipment delivering treatment. For instance, the photoelectric sensors may cause car wash equipment to operate for a certain amount of time that is appropriate to the length of the vehicle, as sensed by the photoelectric sensors. Ultrasonic sensors use sound waves to similarly detect the presence of objects and may result in delivering treatment to the objects. These photoelectric and ultrasonic sensors, however, are unable to detect a concentration of chemical delivered by the fluid delivery equipment. Instead, chemicals are diluted with water prior to their application, and the dilution rate is controlled by metering devices that deliver concentrated chemical in metered amounts. The amount of chemical dispensed per volume of water can be determined based on a flow rate of a metering device, resulting in an intended dilution rate, and the metering devices may be adjusted, such as by turning a metering dial, to adjust the metering rate of the chemical dispensed to reach a desired dilution rate. Due to the variability in the operation of metering devices, for instance, due to changes in performance over the lifespan of the metering device or across different models or types of metering devices, actual dilution rates of the chemical may differ from the dilution rate intended to be delivered by the metering device's settings. It is therefore necessary to identify approaches in which actual dilution rates may be accurately calculated so that metering devices can be adjusted to meter the dispensed chemical to result in an intended dilution rate. SUMMARY Accordingly, implementations of the present disclosure are directed to tracking and adjusting dilution rates of mixed solutions, e.g., mixtures of chemicals, in a fluid delivery system setting using a computer-implemented dilution system communicatively coupled to one or more sensors for determining an amount of diluted chemical present in a mixed solution. The sensors may be used to detect a dilution rate, such as an amount (e.g., concentration, distribution frequency, etc.) of a tracer component present within a mixed solution, where the tracer component is initially present in a solution, e.g., a concentrated chemical, in a pre-defined amount (e.g., concentration, distribution frequency, etc.) prior to being mixed in the mixed solution. The tracer component may be naturally suspended within and relatively evenly distributed throughout the solution, in some examples. In other examples, emulsifiers and/or suspension agents may be added to the solution to cause the tracer component to be evenly distributed and remain suspended with relatively even distribution within the solution. In yet other examples, the solution may be periodically agitated or mixed to relatively evenly distribute the tracer component within the solution. Based on the sensed dilution rate, the dilution system may determine whether the actual dilution rate is at a target dilution rate, and the system may adjust a rate of a solution dispensed to reach a target dilution rate of the mixed solution, which may thereafter be confirmed by sensing a corresponding amount of tracer component. In one implementation, a fluid dilution control system includes a processor and a plurality of sensors communicatively coupled to the processor. Each of the plurality of sensors may be configured to sense a tracer component in a mixed solution of solution and motive fluid. The tracer component may be present in a pre-defined amount in the solution prior to being mixed in the mixed solution. In addition, each of the plurality of sensors may sense a level (e.g., concentration, distribution frequency, etc.) of the tracer component present in the mixed solution and may transmit the sensed information to the processor. The processor may compare the sensed level of each tracer component to a target level of a respective tracer component, and may cause a rate of dilution of one or more solutions containing the sensed tracer component to be adjusted to reach the target level of the respec