Battery Protective Plate Acoustic Damage Detection in EV Floors

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Solution Overview

Problem

In electric vehicles, the protective device for the battery device is often difficult to inspect, leading to potential unnoticed damage that could result in further mechanical impairment and risk to the battery device.

Innovation Solution

A motor vehicle equipped with an acoustic monitoring device that detects mechanical impairment of the protective plate covering the battery device, allowing for immediate detection of damage and triggering appropriate alerts or actions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the protective plate is mounted low on the motor vehicle to protect the battery device, then the protective function is improved, but the inspectability by the driver is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotective functionVSAvoidinspectability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual visual inspection with an automated acoustic monitoring system. Acoustic sensors detect impact sounds on the protective plate, and a control unit processes these signals to determine damage, substituting the mechanical inspection process with an automated sensing and processing system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a feedback loop where acoustic sensors continuously monitor the protective plate, detect impact events, and provide real-time information to the control unit, which then outputs damage assessments to the driver or service system, enabling continuous monitoring without manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Stability of the object's composition

If the protective plate is covered by the vehicle floor to integrate with the vehicle structure, then the structural integration is improved, but the detectability of damage is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrationVSAvoiddetectability of damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces physical access inspection with acoustic sensing. Since the protective plate is integrated into the vehicle floor and not easily accessible, the system uses acoustic sensors to detect impact sounds transmitted through the plate, allowing damage detection without physical access to the plate surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The acoustic sensors act as intermediaries between the protective plate and the inspection system. The sensors detect mechanical impact events on the plate and convert them into electrical signals that can be processed by the control unit, enabling indirect detection of plate damage through acoustic transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If no monitoring system is installed to avoid system complexity, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of battery protection is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidbattery protection reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex manual inspection procedures with a simplified automated acoustic monitoring system. The system uses acoustic sensors and a control unit to automatically detect and assess plate damage, reducing the complexity of ongoing maintenance while improving reliability through continuous monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring system enables the protective plate to essentially monitor itself for damage. The acoustic sensors detect impacts on the plate, and the control unit automatically assesses whether damage has occurred, allowing the system to self-diagnose without requiring external inspection expertise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 acoustic monitoring system enables prompt identification of protective device damage, preventing subsequent mechanical impairments and ensuring the battery device's safety and functionality.

Implementation Method 1

an acoustic monitoring device (11), which acoustically monitors the protective plate (10) and with which a signal can be output when a noise characteristic of a mechanical impairment of the protective plate (10) is registered

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic emission: Acoustic Emission

Data Source

PatentUS12288431B2Motor vehicle and a monitoring method

Publication Date: 2025.04.29 DR ING H C F PORSCHE AG

AI summary

A motor vehicle, in particular an at least partly electrically driven motor vehicle, has a battery device with at least one battery cell. The battery device is arranged in a floor region of the motor vehicle and has a protective device for protecting the battery device from mechanical action. The protective device has a protective plate, which is arranged in such a way that it covers the battery device at least in some regions, so that any mechanical actions are absorbed by the protective plate. The protective device also has an acoustic monitoring device, which monitors the protective plate acoustically and with which a signal can be output when a noise characteristic of a mechanical impairment of the protective plate is registered. Also disclosed is a method for monitoring the protective device.