University of Twente Student Theses
Het ontwerp van een kauwgumverwijdermachine: Hoe kan spum individueel gedetecteerd, en de Spumbuster gepositioneerd worden?
Burgers, Robert Friso (2013) Het ontwerp van een kauwgumverwijdermachine: Hoe kan spum individueel gedetecteerd, en de Spumbuster gepositioneerd worden?
![[img]](http://essay.utwente.nl/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png) |
PDF
4MB |
| Abstract: | The way in which spum (spit out chewing gum on streets) is removed from the streets is very labour intensive. Stichting Nederland Schoon desires that the chewing gum removal machine Spumbuster, which has been developed by BekkerLaGram, is further developed in order for it to eventually be used for efficient gum cleaning. The Spumbuster is a specially developed vehicle structure that is attached to the standard machine carrier Boschung Pony P4. Spum is cleaned using a surface cleaning method with steam under relatively low pressure. After the gum is removed (disconnected or dissolved) the residue is vacuumed into the wastewater tank. The Spumbuster’s low-intensity surface cleaning was not sufficient because gum was not removed well enough. As the direction for a solution to this problem, the choice was made to instead of surface cleaning, remove gum individually by means of ‘high energy density spot cleaning’. Paving joints should be spared from this treatment for it would damage them. In order to do this, gum has to be detected individually, and the steam nozzles have to be placed accurately. The best way in which this can be done is influenced by the way the Spumbuster itself will be positioned. The central research question therefore is: In what way can spum be detected individually, and the Spumbuster positioned? In order to develop the best solution for this problem this research started off with an analysis of the current Spumbuster. Then spum itself, the street, the current cleaning policy and competitive machines are analysed, after which a programme of requirements for a renewed design is stated. Hereafter, activities commenced in order to map out which solutions there are for detecting spum and positioning steam nozzles in mechanical and manual ways. The functions detecting and positioning, but also for instance the removing can be assigned to the human, the machine, or possibly a combination of man and machine. After evaluating the different options, a decision for a specific combination could be made. This led to three concepts with the same allocation of functions. The first concept cleans the street while moving, the second cleans from a standstill and the third also cleans from a standstill but has a smaller working area, which makes it more manoeuvrable. The detecting of spum is carried out by a combination of image recognition and detection by the human via a screen. The positioning and the removal of spum are carried out mechanically. The final design is a machine that works from standstill, and is the size of the current one. Cleaning from a standstill, compared to cleaning while moving, is better controllable, easier to implement and more user-friendly. In addition, it is almost as fast as a mobile cleaning, apart from areas with very low concentrations of spum (because of ratio removal time / displacement time). About one square meter of street can be treated at a time by the working structure in front of the vehicle. Areas that are inaccessible to this structure can be cleaned on foot by using a smaller removable device that works in practically the same way as the larger working structure. Because spum and the street (lighting conditions are controlled) are not constant factors the mechanical detection rate will vary per situation. The driver can compensate for this difference by monitoring the computer and complementing the detection of gum via an interface, either in the cabin or via the smaller device. How high the mechanical detection rate will be remains to be seen, no generically working proof of concept to detect spum mechanically was realised. However, the consulted experts recommended this method and spum was recognised with relatively little effort in a few photos. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | ET: Engineering Technology |
| Subject: | 20 art studies |
| Programme: | Industrial Design BSc (56955) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/63792 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
Show download statistics for this publication
Show download statistics for this publicationRepository Staff Only: item control page