Battery Undertray Sensor Textile for Intrusion Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing underbody elements for traction batteries in electric vehicles do not adequately protect against impacts from below, leading to potential damage and the need for a sensing mechanism to detect intrusions and deformations.
Innovation Solution
Integration of an electrically conductive sensor wire into a flat textile material within the underbody element, which measures voltage changes to detect deformation and potential intrusions, with options for material composition such as carbon fiber or metal-coated plastic filaments, and design features like meandering patterns to enhance coverage and sensitivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an underbody element is used to protect the traction battery from impacts, then protection against environmental and mechanical influences is improved, but the battery remains vulnerable to strong impacts that can push the underbody element into the battery causing intrusion damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates sensor wires into the underbody element before installation, enabling preliminary detection capability. The sensor wires are embedded in the structural layers of the underbody element, allowing them to detect deformations and intrusions before they cause critical damage to the battery cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor wires act as an intermediary between the underbody element and the battery cells. They detect mechanical deformations and transmit this information electronically, serving as a mediator that provides early warning of intrusion conditions before direct contact with battery cells occurs.
2Measurement precision
If sensor wires are integrated into the underbody element to detect deformations, then detection capability is improved, but the complexity of the underbody element structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sensor integration directly into the manufacturing process of the underbody element. The sensor wires are combined with reinforcement elements and structural layers during production, creating a unified component that reduces assembly complexity despite the added sensing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The underbody element is constructed as a composite structure with multiple layers including sensor-integrated reinforcement elements, foam inserts, and cover layers. This composite approach allows sensor integration without significantly increasing overall structural complexity, as the sensors become part of the composite architecture.
3Ease of manufacture
If the sensor wire is integrated into a flat textile material, then ease of attachment and coverage area are improved, but the manufacturing precision of sensor wire placement becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor wires are pre-integrated into the textile material during the manufacturing process before the underbody element is assembled. This preliminary integration ensures precise placement patterns are established during production, allowing for consistent positioning while maintaining ease of attachment to the underbody structure.
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
Enables simple detection of deformations and intrusions, allowing for timely warning of potential damage to the traction battery, with the ability to differentiate between minor and significant impacts, thus minimizing risk to the vehicle and its occupants.
Implementation Method 1
the sensor device has at least one electrically conductive sensor wire integrated into a flat textile material, wherein the sensor device is designed to measure a voltage applied to the sensor wire and to detect a deformation of the sensor wire depending on a measured change in the voltage
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for determining an intrusion of a traction battery (3), to an undertray element (2) and to a motor vehicle (1) having such an undertray element (2). The undertray element (2) for the motor vehicle (1) comprises at least one sensor device (6) which has at least one electrically conductive sensor wire (8) which is integrated into a flat textile material (7), wherein the sensor device (6) is designed to measure a voltage applied to the sensor wire (8) and to determine a deformation of the sensor wire (8) depending on a measured change in the voltage.