Hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automobile frames, and discloses a hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame which comprises an upper shell and a lower shell, the upper shell and the lower shell are fixedly connected, the upper shell and the lower shell are of groove structures with opposite openings, and each of the upper shell and the lower shell comprises a plurality of pipe frames. The pipe frames are formed by fixedly connecting a plurality of pultrusion pipe fittings through four-way joints, at least one saddle is embedded in one of the pipe frames at the top of the upper shell, and the pipe frames at the top of the upper shell and the bottom of the lower shell further comprise interlayers; according to the hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame, the problems that in the prior art, the hydrogen embrittlement phenomenon possibly occurs when steel for a traditional steel frame makes contact with the hydrogen environment for a long time, hydrogen atoms permeate into the steel, the toughness of metal materials is possibly reduced, and the risk of crack propagation is increased are solved. And the problem is particularly prominent near a high-pressure hydrogen storage system, so that the safety and the reliability of a vehicle frame are possibly influenced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile frames, and in particular to a heavy-duty truck frame with integrated hydrogen storage. Background Art

[0002] Traditional heavy-duty truck frames are typically made of high-strength steel. While this provides sufficient strength and rigidity, it also comes at the expense of overall weight. A heavier frame increases vehicle mass, reducing payload capacity and increasing fuel consumption. Furthermore, frames are susceptible to corrosion from prolonged exposure to harsh environments (such as saline-alkali land, humid areas, or roads salted in winter). Corrosion can reduce frame strength, impacting service life and safety, making the corrosion resistance of metal frames a crucial consideration.

[0003] For hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks, the steel used in traditional steel frames can suffer from hydrogen embrittlement when exposed to hydrogen for a long time. Hydrogen atoms penetrate the steel, potentially reducing its toughness and increasing the risk of crack propagation. This problem is particularly acute near high-pressure hydrogen storage systems, potentially compromising the safety and reliability of the frame. If a frame fracture occurs during high-speed driving, the consequences could be disastrous.

[0004] At the same time, hydrogen-powered heavy trucks need to accommodate multiple hydrogen storage tanks, fuel cell systems, and power battery packs within a limited space. Steel frames may not provide sufficient flexibility, and steel frames take up more space, compressing the installation locations of hydrogen storage tanks and other key components. Currently, hydrogen-powered heavy trucks with steel frames generally use a backpack-type hydrogen storage method due to the limitations of hydrogen storage space. The hydrogen storage tank is installed on the top or rear of the frame, which increases the center of gravity of the vehicle, affecting the stability and handling of the vehicle, especially when driving at high speeds or turning, increasing the risk of rollover, especially when fully loaded, and the upper limit of hydrogen storage optimization is relatively limited. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention provides a heavy-duty truck frame with integrated hydrogen storage. This design offers advantages such as safety, reliability, and increased hydrogen storage space. This solves the problem of hydrogen embrittlement, a problem that can occur in conventional steel frames when exposed to hydrogen for extended periods. Hydrogen atoms penetrate the steel, potentially reducing its toughness and increasing the risk of crack growth. This problem is particularly acute near high-pressure hydrogen storage systems, potentially impacting the safety and reliability of the frame.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned safety and reliability and increase the hydrogen storage space, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: a heavy-duty truck frame with integrated hydrogen storage, comprising an upper shell and a lower shell, the upper shell and the lower shell are fixedly connected, the upper shell and the lower shell both comprise a mounting portion and a hydrogen storage portion, the mounting portion is a through groove running through from top to bottom, for placing a fuel-electric system, the hydrogen storage portions of the upper shell and the lower shell are groove structures with openings facing each other, a number of hydrogen storage bottles are arranged in the grooves, the upper shell and the lower shell are both made of at least a pipe rack composed of a plurality of pultruded pipes and a composite of two layers of skin covering the pipe rack.

[0007] Preferably, a saddle and a plurality of pipe racks are provided between the two layers of skin at the top of the upper shell and the bottom of the lower shell, and the pipe racks are fixedly connected by pultruded pipe fittings and four-way joints to form a mesh, and at least one saddle is embedded between one of the pipe racks at the top of the upper shell, and the pipe racks at the top of the upper shell and the bottom of the lower shell also include a sandwich layer, which is clamped between two adjacent pultruded pipe fittings, and the sandwich layer is spaced apart in the horizontal direction by the pultruded pipe fittings.

[0008] Preferably, the pultruded tube is a carbon fiber tube, the four-way joint is an aluminum alloy four-way joint, and the skin is a carbon fiber skin.

[0009] Preferably, the saddle is an aluminum alloy saddle, and the interlayer is a foam interlayer.

[0010] Preferably, the carbon fiber tube has a multi-layer structure, including 20-30 layers of 0.1MM thick T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layers, the T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layers are stacked at 0°, 45°, 90°, -45°, and 0° according to their continuous fiber directions, and T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layers at the same angle can be stacked continuously, and each T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layer is thermally connected by epoxy resin.

[0011] Preferably, both ends of the saddle adjacent to the pipe rack are provided with laterally extending plug-in protrusions, the pultruded pipe is plugged into the saddle via the plug-in protrusions, and the interlayer is in contact with the side surface of the saddle.

[0012] Preferably, both sides of the upper shell and the lower shell are fixedly connected to the side frames in the length direction, the pipe rack at the bottom of the lower shell extends outward on both sides along the length direction to form the bottom surface of the side frame, the pipe rack extends upward from the four sides of the bottom surface to form the side frame, and the side frame is fixedly connected to the top side of the upper shell through a four-way joint.

[0013] Preferably, the pultruded tube and the saddle are bonded together by epoxy resin, the pultruded tube and the four-way joint are bonded together by epoxy resin, and the pultruded tube and the interlayer are bonded together by epoxy structural adhesive.

[0014] Preferably, the upper shell and the lower shell are fixedly connected by a plurality of side locks, and the side locks include an upper fixing buckle and a lower fixing buckle, the upper fixing buckle is fixedly connected to the upper shell, the lower fixing buckle is fixedly connected to the lower shell, and the upper fixing buckle and the lower fixing buckle are threadedly connected.

[0015] Preferably, a hydrogen storage space is opened on one side opposite to the upper shell and the lower shell, and hydrogen bottles are placed in the hydrogen storage space and the side frame.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a heavy-duty truck frame with integrated hydrogen storage, which has the following beneficial effects: 1. The hydrogen storage integrated heavy-duty truck frame is manufactured from composite materials, significantly reducing vehicle weight while ensuring frame strength and safety. Lightweighting not only helps increase vehicle range, but also reduces energy consumption and improves overall performance.

[0017] 2. The composite frame design reserves hydrogen storage space inside the frame, which can optimize the layout and structure of the hydrogen storage container and thus improve the hydrogen storage quality.

[0018] 3. Composite materials have excellent corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance, which can improve the service life and safety of the vehicle frame. At the same time, the integrated design of hydrogen storage function can reduce the number of interfaces and connectors in the hydrogen storage system, reduce the risk of leakage, and improve the safety of the entire hydrogen storage system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the saddle structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 4 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0020] In the figure: 1. upper shell; 2. lower shell; 3. side frame; 4. side lock; 41. upper fixing buckle; 42. lower fixing buckle; 5. skin; 11. pipe rack; 111. pultruded pipe fitting; 112. four-way joint; 113. interlayer; 12. saddle, 121. plug-in protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] For example 1, please refer to Figure 1-2 A hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame comprises an upper shell 1 and a lower shell 2, the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 are fixedly connected to form a frame, the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 both comprise a mounting portion and a hydrogen storage portion, the mounting portion is a through groove extending vertically and used to place a fuel-electric system, the hydrogen storage portions of the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 are groove structures with openings facing each other, the combination of the two grooves forms a hydrogen storage space inside the frame, a plurality of hydrogen bottles are placed in the hydrogen storage space, the hydrogen bottles can be fixed in the hydrogen storage space by means of limit blocks, straps, heavy-load springs, etc., the upper shell (1) and the lower shell are both at least a composite of a pipe rack (11) composed of a plurality of pultruded pipe fittings (111) and two layers of skin (5) covering the pipe rack (11), the pipe rack 11 is formed by a plurality of pultruded pipe fittings 111 fixedly connected by a four-way joint 112 to form a mesh, the pultruded pipe fittings 111 are fixedly connected by a four-way joint 112 Part 111 is a carbon fiber tube, and the four-way joint 112 is an aluminum alloy four-way joint. At least one saddle 12 is embedded in one of the pipe racks 11 at the top of the upper shell 1. The saddle 12 is an aluminum alloy saddle. The pipe racks 11 at the top of the upper shell 1 and the bottom of the lower shell 2 also include an interlayer 113. The interlayer 113 is a foam interlayer. The pultruded pipe fittings 111 are located between the interlayers 113. The interlayers 113 are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction through the pultruded pipe fittings 111. The saddle 12 is provided with laterally extending plug-in protrusions 121 at both ends adjacent to the pipe rack 11. The pultruded pipe fittings 111 are plugged into the saddle 12 through the plug-in protrusions 121. The interlayer 113 and the saddle 12 are fitted sideways. The inner and outer surfaces of the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 are covered with a skin 5. The skin 5 is a carbon fiber skin, and the carbon fiber skin adopts T300-3K carbon fiber prepreg.

[0023] In this embodiment, the saddle 12 is provided so that the load bearing point of the vehicle body is placed on the saddle 12 during loading, thereby achieving load transfer. The saddle load is transferred to the carbon fiber frame of the upper shell 1 through the saddle 12, so that the entire frame can bear the weight of the vehicle body.

[0024] In this embodiment, a hydrogen storage space is provided between the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2, and the hydrogen storage function is integrated into the design, thereby reducing the interfaces and connectors of the hydrogen storage system and reducing the risk of leakage. In addition, the main structure pultruded tube 111 of the frame is provided as a carbon fiber tube, and an aluminum alloy four-way joint 112 and a foam interlayer 113 are combined to form an integral frame. The frame made of this composite material has good corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance, which can improve the service life and safety of the frame. At the same time, the frame can be reduced by about 40% compared with the traditional steel frame + back frame, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the vehicle and improving the overall performance.

[0025] Example 2: This example is further optimized based on Example 1, and the same parts as the above technical solutions will not be repeated here. Figure 1-2 As shown, in order to better implement the present invention, the following configuration is particularly adopted: The carbon fiber tube is a multi-layer structure, including 20-30 layers of 0.1MM thick T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layers. The 20-30 layers of T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layers are laid and sorted in different layers and angles according to the comprehensive stress of various areas of the frame body under multiple working conditions. The T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layers are stacked at 0°, 45°, 90°, -45°, and 0° according to their continuous fiber directions. The T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layers at the same angle can be stacked continuously. The main direction of the fiber is 0°, and the angles of other directions are adjusted based on the main direction. Then one layer is laid in each direction, for a total of five layers. Into a unit, and then repeat 4-6 units again to complete the laying, each T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layer is thermally connected by epoxy resin, the preparation process of the carbon fiber tube is a pultrusion process, during the laying process of the carbon fiber unidirectional tape, it is immersed in epoxy resin, and the epoxy resin penetrates into the fiber. After the laying is completed, wait for the resin to solidify, and then form a pultruded tube 111, the pultruded tube 111 and the saddle 12 are bonded by epoxy structural adhesive, the pultruded tube 111 and the four-way joint 112 are bonded by epoxy structural adhesive, and the pultruded tube 111 and the interlayer 113 are bonded by epoxy structural adhesive.

[0026] In this embodiment, by gluing the pultruded tube 111 to the saddle 12, the interlayer 113, and the four-way joint 112, the interfaces between the components are made stronger. At the same time, the use of gluing adds very little weight to the frame itself compared to traditional riveting, welding, and the like.

[0027] Example 3, as Figure 3As shown, both sides of the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 in the length direction are fixedly connected to the side frame 3, and the pipe rack 11 at the bottom of the lower shell 2 extends outward on both sides along the length direction to form the bottom surface of the side frame 3. The pipe rack 11 extends upward from the four sides of the bottom surface to form the side frame 3. The side frame 3 is fixedly connected to the top side of the upper shell 1 through a four-way joint 112, and a hydrogen bottle is placed in the side frame 3.

[0028] In this embodiment, by providing the side frame 3, the hydrogen storage space can be expanded, the fuel reserve can be increased, and the vehicle's endurance can be increased.

[0029] Example 4, as Figure 3-5 As shown, the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 are fixedly connected by several side locks 4. The side locks 4 include an upper fixing buckle 41 and a lower fixing buckle 42. The upper fixing buckle 42 is fixedly connected to the upper shell 1, and the lower fixing buckle 42 is fixedly connected to the lower shell 2. The upper fixing buckle 41 and the lower fixing buckle 42 are threadedly connected.

[0030] In this embodiment, an upper fixing buckle 41 and a lower fixing buckle 42 are provided, and the upper fixing buckle 41 and the lower fixing buckle 42 are fixedly connected to the side walls of the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 respectively by bolts or rivets. The fixing buckle 41 and the lower fixing buckle 42 are both L-shaped structures. The fixing buckle 41 and the lower fixing buckle 42 are arranged opposite to each other, and their two planes are abutted against each other. The two planes of the fixing buckle 41 and the lower fixing buckle 42 are threadedly connected by bolts, so that the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 can be fixed and sealed, making the overall frame more solid.

[0031] To sum up, the hydrogen storage integrated heavy-duty truck frame not only eliminates the use of steel frames and steel structural parts, but also adopts composite materials to significantly reduce weight, thereby increasing the vehicle's range and subsequently improving overall performance. At the same time, it solves the hydrogen embrittlement problem of traditional hydrogen fuel truck frames. Moreover, the hydrogen storage system is integrated inside the frame, which reduces the interfaces and connectors of the hydrogen storage system, reduces the risk of leakage, improves the quality of hydrogen storage, and thus improves the safety of the entire hydrogen storage system.

[0032] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply the existence of any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article, or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or device. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or device comprising the element.

[0033] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A heavy-duty truck frame with integrated hydrogen storage, comprising an upper shell (1) and a lower shell (2), wherein the upper shell (1) and the lower shell (2) are fixedly connected, characterized in that: The upper shell (1) and the lower shell (2) both include a mounting portion and a hydrogen storage portion. The mounting portion is a through groove that passes through from top to bottom and is used to place a fuel-electric system. The hydrogen storage portions of the upper shell (1) and the lower shell (2) are groove structures with openings facing each other. A plurality of hydrogen storage bottles are provided in the grooves. The upper shell (1) and the lower shell are both composited by at least a pipe rack (11) composed of a plurality of pultruded pipes (111) and two layers of skin (5) covering the pipe rack (11).

2. The hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: A saddle (12) and a plurality of pipe racks (11) are provided between the two layers of skin (5) at the top of the upper shell (1) and the bottom of the lower shell (2). The pipe racks (11) are fixedly connected by pultruded pipe fittings (111) and four-way joints (112) to form a network. At least one saddle (12) is embedded between one of the pipe racks (11) at the top of the upper shell (1). The pipe racks (11) at the top of the upper shell (1) and the bottom of the lower shell (2) further include an interlayer (113). The interlayer (113) is clamped between two adjacent pultruded pipe fittings (111). The interlayer (113) is spaced apart in the horizontal direction through the pultruded pipe fittings (111).

3. The hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pultruded tube (111) is a carbon fiber tube, the four-way joint (112) is an aluminum alloy four-way joint, and the skin (5) is a carbon fiber skin.

4. The hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame according to claim 3, characterized in that: The saddle (12) is an aluminum alloy saddle, and the interlayer (113) is a foam interlayer.

5. The hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame according to claim 3, characterized in that: The carbon fiber tube has a multi-layer structure, including 20-30 layers of 0.1MM thick T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layers. The T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layers are stacked at 0°, 45°, 90°, -45°, and 0° according to their continuous fiber directions. T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layers with the same angle can be stacked continuously, and each T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape layer is thermally connected by epoxy resin.

6. The hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame according to claim 4, characterized in that: The saddle (12) is provided with laterally extending plug-in protrusions (121) at both ends adjacent to the pipe rack (11); the pultruded pipe (111) is plugged into the saddle (12) via the plug-in protrusions (121); and the interlayer (113) and the saddle (12) are in contact with each other on the side.

7. The hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame according to claim 3, characterized in that: Both sides of the upper shell (1) and the lower shell (2) in the longitudinal direction are fixedly connected to the side frames (3); the pipe rack (11) at the bottom of the lower shell (2) extends outwardly along both sides in the longitudinal direction to form the bottom surface of the side frames (3); the pipe rack (11) extends upward from all sides of the bottom surface to form the side frames (3); and the side frames (3) are fixedly connected to the top side of the upper shell (1) via a four-way joint (112).

8. The hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pultruded tube (111) and the saddle (12) are bonded together by epoxy structural adhesive, the pultruded tube (111) and the four-way joint (112) are bonded together by epoxy structural adhesive, and the pultruded tube (111) and the interlayer (113) are bonded together by epoxy structural adhesive.

9. The hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper shell (1) and the lower shell (2) are fixedly connected via a plurality of side locks (4), wherein the side locks (4) comprise an upper fixing buckle (41) and a lower fixing buckle (42), wherein the upper fixing buckle (42) is fixedly connected to the upper shell (1), and the lower fixing buckle (42) is fixedly connected to the lower shell (2), and the upper fixing buckle (41) and the lower fixing buckle (42) are threadedly connected.

10. The hydrogen storage integrated heavy truck frame according to claim 7, characterized in that: A hydrogen storage space is provided on one side of the upper shell (1) and the lower shell (2) opposite to each other, and hydrogen bottles are placed in the hydrogen storage space and the side frame (3).

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