Rear Battery Protection Structure With Sliding Impact Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for mounting and protecting high-voltage traction batteries in heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks, face challenges in accessibility and effective absorption of collision forces, leading to potential damage during impacts.
Innovation Solution
A battery protection structure is designed with a frame portion and a projecting portion that connects to the chassis, allowing the structure to move forwardly upon impact, absorbing energy and maintaining the battery's safety by transferring collision energy into kinetic energy, utilizing connecting elements and a deformable energy-absorbing element to facilitate controlled movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the traction battery is mounted along the chassis frame between the front and rear axles, then the battery is well protected against front and rear collisions, but the accessibility for mounting and replacement is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The battery protection structure is divided into a frame portion and a projecting portion that can move independently. The projecting portion can be separated from the frame portion during impact events, allowing the battery to remain protected while the projecting portion absorbs impact forces, thereby maintaining accessibility without compromising protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection structure transitions from a static fixed connection to a dynamic system where the projecting portion can move forward along the chassis during impact. This dynamic behavior allows the structure to adapt to collision forces while maintaining battery protection and accessibility.
2Reliability
If the projecting portion is connected rigidly to the chassis, then the battery is well protected, but the structure cannot absorb collision energy effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The projecting portion is designed to convert harmful collision energy into beneficial kinetic energy by moving forward along the chassis during impact. This movement allows the structure to absorb impact forces while maintaining battery protection, transforming the harmful impact into a controlled energy dissipation mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the projecting portion and chassis is designed to allow controlled movement during impact. The projecting portion can slide forward along guiding elements, enabling the structure to absorb collision energy through controlled kinetic energy conversion while maintaining battery protection.
3Loss of energy
If the projecting portion is allowed to move freely during impact, then collision energy is absorbed, but the battery may become unstable
Solution Approach 1:
Guiding elements act as intermediaries between the projecting portion and the chassis, controlling the movement of the projecting portion during impact. These guiding elements ensure that the projecting portion moves in a controlled manner along the chassis, absorbing collision energy while maintaining battery stability through controlled motion constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static rigid connection to a dynamic controlled movement system. The projecting portion is allowed to move forward during impact but is constrained by guiding elements to maintain stable, controlled motion, thereby absorbing collision energy while preserving battery stability.
4Loss of energy
If connecting elements are designed to break at a certain load, then the structure can move to absorb energy, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting elements are designed with specific strength parameters that allow them to break at predetermined load thresholds. By carefully selecting and controlling the material properties and dimensions of the connecting elements, the system enables controlled movement to absorb collision energy while managing manufacturing precision requirements through parameter optimization.
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 solution enhances the safety and accessibility of traction batteries by effectively absorbing collision energy, ensuring the battery's protection and ease of maintenance while maintaining structural integrity during impacts.
Implementation Method 1
the projecting portion is configured to remain in a fixed connection relative to the chassis under normal operating conditions and to move forwardly along the chassis when the rear side of the frame portion is subjected to a forwardly directed impact force which is greater than a threshold force
Implementation Method 2
collision energy may be transferred into kinetic energy, whereby the protection structure holding a traction battery is configured to move forwardly along the chassis of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle, comprising a rear end, a front end located forwardly of the rear end, a chassis extending between the rear end and the front end, a battery protection structure provided at the rear end of the vehicle, the battery protection structure comprising a frame portion defining an opening for housing a traction battery, the frame portion having a rear side and a front side, and a projecting portion which projects forwardly from the frame portion and which is connected to the chassis at the rear end of the vehicle, wherein the projecting portion is configured to remain in a fixed connection relative to the chassis under normal operating conditions and to move forwardly along the chassis when the rear side of the frame portion is subjected to a forwardly directed impact force which is greater than a threshold force.