Vehicle Battery Pack Layout With Central Service Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional energy storage systems for vehicles face challenges in space utilization, thermal management, electrical connectivity, and modular scalability, often resulting in suboptimal arrangements that complicate maintenance and diagnostics.
Innovation Solution
An energy storage system with a center vehicle frame structure that houses four battery pack groups, each with a common utility accessing area where all electrical interfaces are located, allowing centralized access and management, and a battery disconnection unit that facilitates independent or concurrent disconnection of battery packs, along with a modular design and cooling system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If battery packs are arranged in a conventional uniform configuration, then the system structure is simple, but maintenance access and electrical interface accessibility become cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into multiple modular battery packs arranged in series groups, with each pack being independently accessible. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access individual packs or groups without disturbing the entire system, significantly improving maintenance ease while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized modular units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent arranges battery packs in a three-dimensional configuration around a central vehicle frame structure, utilizing spatial distribution in multiple directions. This dimensional arrangement creates accessible pathways and service areas that were not possible with conventional linear or planar layouts, improving accessibility without increasing overall system complexity.
2Productivity
If electrical interfaces are distributed across different locations, then each interface can be accessed independently, but overall maintenance efficiency decreases due to scattered access points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates electrical interfaces of multiple battery packs into a common accessible area or service zone. By merging the access points for electrical interfaces into a unified location, maintenance personnel can service multiple interfaces sequentially without moving between scattered locations, thereby improving overall maintenance efficiency while maintaining good accessibility to each interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The common service area is designed to serve multiple battery packs simultaneously, providing universal access to electrical interfaces across different packs. This multi-functional service zone can accommodate various maintenance operations on multiple interfaces, enhancing productivity through a single accessible location that serves the entire battery system.
3Area of stationary object
If battery packs are tightly packed to maximize space utilization, then space efficiency improves, but thermal management and maintenance access become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements localized spacing and airflow channels between adjacent battery packs, creating specific thermal management zones without reducing overall space utilization. These local quality adjustments provide targeted cooling pathways and thermal isolation where needed, while maintaining compact packaging in other areas, thus balancing space efficiency with effective thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces thermal management components and cooling channels as intermediary elements between battery packs. These intermediaries facilitate heat dissipation and thermal regulation while occupying minimal space, allowing tight packing of battery packs without compromising thermal management effectiveness. The intermediaries act as mediators that enable close proximity arrangements while maintaining proper thermal conditions.
Data Source
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AI summary
An energy storage system (30) for a vehicle (1) having a center vehicle frame structure (3) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the energy storage system (30) comprising: a first battery pack group (130) and a second battery pack group (140) arranged opposite each other on opposite first and second sides (4a, 4b) of the center vehicle frame structure (3); a third battery pack group (150) and a fourth battery pack group (160) arranged opposite each other on opposite first and second sides (4a, 4b) of the center vehicle frame structure (3); and a battery disconnection unit (170) arranged in the center vehicle frame structure (3), each one of the first, second, third and fourth battery pack groups (130, 140, 150, 160) being associated with an electrical interface (181, 182, 183, 184) electrically connecting the corresponding battery pack group (130, 140, 150, 160) to the battery disconnection unit (170). The electrical interfaces (181, 182, 183, 184) of all of the first, second, third and fourth battery pack groups (130, 140, 150, 160) are arranged in a common utility accessing area (190) between the battery pack groups (130, 140, 150, 160).