Integrated Battery Housing Floor for Lighter EV Body Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional motor vehicle drive battery housings are heavy, limit range, and are costly to produce, while also occupying excessive structural space and lacking in fluid-tightness and impact resistance.
Innovation Solution
The drive energy accumulator housing integrates with the floor assembly to form a lighter, more cost-effective, and fluid-tight floor, replacing traditional components and allowing for increased battery cell capacity, with a sealing system and heat exchanger functionality, and enhanced structural support through connections to cross beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a conventional drive battery housing is used, then the housing provides structural support and protection, but the vehicle weight increases and range decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive energy accumulator housing is merged with the floor assembly to form an integrated structure. The housing serves dual purposes: containing the battery cells and forming part of the vehicle floor, thereby eliminating the need for separate floor components and reducing overall vehicle weight while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The drive energy accumulator housing is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support as part of the floor assembly, contains the battery cells, ensures fluid-tightness for the passenger compartment, and contributes to impact resistance. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed
2Ease of manufacture
If a conventional drive battery housing is used, then the housing provides protection, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the housing and floor assembly into a single integrated component, the number of manufacturing steps is reduced. The housing can be produced as a single piece or pre-assembled unit that directly forms the floor, eliminating the need for separate floor plate installation and reducing production complexity and costs
3Weight of moving object
If the drive energy accumulator housing replaces the floor, then vehicle weight is reduced, but fluid-tightness must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with integrated sealing features that combine structural support and fluid-tightness functions. Sealing elements are incorporated into the housing structure itself rather than being separate components, ensuring that weight reduction does not compromise the ability to maintain fluid-tightness
Solution Approach 2:
Sealing elements or sealing systems are introduced as intermediary components between the housing and the passenger compartment or other structural elements. These sealing mediators ensure fluid-tightness while allowing the housing to maintain its reduced weight design
4Quantity of substance
If the drive energy accumulator housing extends over the whole width, then more battery cells can be accommodated, but structural space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed to extend in the horizontal plane (width and length dimensions) rather than requiring additional vertical space. By utilizing the available floor plan area efficiently and extending the housing to cover the whole width between longitudinal beams, maximum battery capacity is achieved without increasing the vehicle's overall height or compromising structural space
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
This configuration reduces vehicle weight, increases range, simplifies production, enhances structural integrity, and provides effective temperature control, while maintaining fluid-tightness and impact resistance.
Implementation Method 1
A seal or a sealing adhesive can be arranged suitably between the drive energy accumulator housing and the floor assembly such that the installed drive energy accumulator housing completely seals the floor assembly at the bottom
Implementation Method 2
an upper wall, i.e. an upper layer or an upper side, i.e. a side facing the passenger compartment, of the drive energy accumulator housing is formed as a heat exchanger for controlling the temperature of the drive energy accumulator
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle has a body and a drive energy accumulator. The motor vehicle can be a passenger motor vehicle or a truck, and particularly has an electric drive. The drive energy accumulator can be a drive battery which is also referred to as high-voltage accumulator. The body has a floor assembly with a left-hand longitudinal beam and a right-hand longitudinal beam. Such body longitudinal beams are also referred to as side sills or outer, lower longitudinal beams. The drive energy accumulator has a drive energy accumulator housing, and the drive energy accumulator or the drive energy accumulator housing is mounted to the floor assembly from below. The mounted drive energy accumulator or the mounted drive energy accumulator housing form at least part of a floor of the floor assembly.