Integrated Battery Pack Cross-Members for EV Frame Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current frame designs for electric body on frame vehicles face challenges in integrating large battery packs while maintaining structural stiffness, durability, and crash safety, as traditional designs either compromise on weight or increase the vehicle's mass significantly, affecting power efficiency and safety.
Innovation Solution
The integration of battery pack cross-members that function as chassis cross-members, connected to both longitudinal frame rails and frame cross-members, providing structural support and stiffness without duplicating structural elements, and allowing for a removable battery pack design that minimizes added weight and maximizes energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional frame designs are used with separate battery pack mounting, then the battery pack can be installed, but the vehicle mass increases significantly affecting power efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack cross-members are merged with the chassis cross-members, creating a unified structural element that serves both as battery mounting support and as part of the vehicle frame. This integration eliminates the need for separate mounting structures and reduces overall vehicle mass while maintaining structural integrity and power efficiency.
2Strength
If battery pack cross-members are integrated with frame cross-members, then structural stiffness is enhanced, but the complexity of frame design increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated cross-members serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural stiffness for the chassis, support the battery pack assembly, and act as mounting points for other vehicle components. This multi-functionality approach enhances structural strength while avoiding the need for additional separate structural elements that would increase design complexity.
3Strength
If the battery pack is permanently integrated with the frame, then structural stiffness is improved, but the ease of repair and replacement decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is designed as a segmented, modular unit that can be independently removed from the integrated cross-members. The cross-members themselves remain permanently integrated with the frame for structural stiffness, while the battery pack modules can be easily detached and replaced by simply unfastening the modular units from the cross-member mounting points.
4Ease of manufacture
If frame cross-members are removed to accommodate battery pack, then battery pack installation is simplified, but vehicle stiffness for crash safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of removing frame cross-members to accommodate the battery pack, the design merges the battery pack cross-members with the frame cross-members into a single integrated structural element. This integration maintains the structural stiffness required for crash safety while providing simplified battery pack installation through the modular design that attaches to the integrated cross-members.
Data Source
AI summary
Integrated frame and battery pack structure for electric vehicles are disclosed. An example electric vehicle includes a frame of the electric vehicle to which a body of the electric vehicle is coupled, the frame including longitudinal frame rails, a mid-section of the frame not including frame cross-members. The example electric vehicle includes a battery pack mounted in the mid-section of the frame, the battery pack including battery pack cross-members, each of the battery pack cross-members connected to a top surface of the longitudinal frame rails and a bottom surface of the longitudinal frame rails.