Traction Battery Underbody Air Chamber Impact Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicles with underbody-mounted traction batteries face challenges in detecting impacts that can cause damage, as conventional underbody elements like underride guards may not fully protect the battery from strong impacts, leading to potential intrusion and damage.
Innovation Solution
A traction battery assembly with an underbody element featuring recessed areas forming air-filled chambers, connected to an evaluation unit, which detects impacts by measuring pressure changes in these chambers using sensors and computing devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an underbody element is used to protect the traction battery from impacts, then the battery is protected from direct impact damage, but strong impacts can still force the underbody element into the battery causing intrusion damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an air-filled chamber as an intermediary element between the underbody element and the traction battery. This chamber acts as a mediator that absorbs impact energy through air compression, preventing the underbody element from directly intruding into the battery while maintaining protective coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The air-filled chamber is pre-positioned between the underbody element and the battery to provide cushioning before impact occurs. The compressible air in the chamber is ready to absorb impact forces, cushioning the battery against intrusion damage before the underbody element can directly contact the battery.
2Measurement precision
If a sensing system is added to detect impacts on the traction battery, then impact detection capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pneumatic sensing approach by measuring pressure changes in the air-filled chamber. This pneumatic system provides impact detection capability through simple pressure sensors that monitor air pressure variations, avoiding the need for complex electronic sensing systems while maintaining accurate impact detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The air-filled chamber serves dual functions: it provides mechanical cushioning protection and simultaneously acts as the sensing medium for impact detection. The same air chamber that cushions the battery also transmits impact forces as pressure changes, eliminating the need for separate sensing components and reducing overall system complexity.
3Measurement precision
If multiple air-filled chambers are used to localize impacts, then impact localization precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the protective space into multiple segmented air-filled chambers positioned at different locations around the battery. Each chamber independently monitors pressure changes in its specific zone, enabling impact localization by identifying which chamber experiences pressure changes. This segmentation provides precise spatial information while keeping each individual chamber simple in design.
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 and cost-efficiently detects impacts on the traction battery, allowing for localization of the impact and reducing the risk of damage by providing accurate pressure signal detection.
Implementation Method 1
an evaluation unit (7), configured to determine a pressure signal of the air pressure in the chamber and, depending on the pressure signal, to detect the impact on the traction battery
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a traction battery arrangement (2) for a motor vehicle (1) for detecting an impact on a traction battery (4). The traction battery arrangement comprises the traction battery (4) and an underbody element (3) arranged on the underside of the traction battery (4), wherein the underbody element (3) has at least one recessed area (5) in which an air-filled chamber is formed between the underbody element (3) and the underside of the traction battery (4), wherein the chamber is coupled to an evaluation unit (7) configured to determine a pressure signal of an air pressure in the chamber and, depending on the pressure signal, to detect the impact on the traction battery (4).