Vehicle Chassis Shear Bracket for Battery Pack Intrusion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Intrusion of chassis components into a battery pack during crash events can cause damage, as existing technologies fail to effectively absorb energy and prevent displacement, leading to potential battery system damage.
Innovation Solution
A shear bracket is affixed to a vehicle's frame and chassis components, configured to absorb energy from deceleration events, maintaining a gap between the battery system and chassis components, and providing structural rigidity to prevent intrusion by buckling between designated locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing chassis components are used without additional protective structures, then the vehicle structure remains simple, but the battery system is vulnerable to intrusion and damage during crash events
Solution Approach 1:
A shear bracket is introduced as an intermediary component between the chassis component and the battery system. The bracket includes a first attachment to the chassis and a second attachment to the battery system, with a shearable portion that can fail in a controlled manner to protect the battery while maintaining structural integrity during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective structure is divided into distinct segments: the shear bracket itself, the first attachment mechanism, the second attachment mechanism, and the shearable portion. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the bracket provides structural support while the shearable portion provides controlled failure protection.
2Strength
If rigid connections are used between chassis components and battery system, then structural rigidity is improved, but energy from crash events is transferred directly to the battery system causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The connection stiffness is changed by introducing a shearable portion with controlled mechanical properties. During normal operation, the shear bracket provides rigid support, but during crash events, the shearable portion undergoes plastic deformation or failure, changing the stiffness parameter to absorb energy and prevent direct energy transfer to the battery system.
Solution Approach 2:
The shearable portion is designed in advance to fail at a predetermined load threshold, providing beforehand cushioning by absorbing crash energy through controlled failure before the force can be transmitted to the battery system. This pre-planned failure mode protects the battery from harmful energy transfer.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the shear bracket is designed to be highly rigid, then displacement prevention is improved, but the bracket cannot absorb energy from crash events
Solution Approach 1:
The shear bracket is designed with a dual-parameter structure: highly rigid sections for normal operation that prevent displacement, and a shearable portion with reduced stiffness that can deform plastically or fail in a controlled manner to absorb crash energy. The rigid portions maintain stability during service, while the shearable portion provides energy dissipation during events.
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 shear bracket effectively reduces energy transfer to the battery system, preventing intrusion and maintaining structural integrity during crashes, ensuring repeatability and reducing the risk of battery system damage.
Implementation Method 1
The shear bracket is configured to absorb energy from the chassis component associated with a deceleration event to reduce energy transferring to a battery system
Implementation Method 2
the shear bracket is configured to buckle between the first location and the second location under loading from the event
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a battery system arranged in a central region. The battery system includes corners corresponding to corners of an end of the vehicle, and respective chassis components are arranged at each corner. Respective shear brackets are affixed to the vehicle frame to a respective chassis component. The shear brackets are configured to absorb energy from the chassis components during deceleration events. The chassis components may include a knuckle configured to engage with the frame at an interface, to which the shear bracket may be added. Each shear bracket is formed from metal, such as sheet metal, and includes mounting features such as holes or studs to affix to the frame. The shear brackets are configured to limit intrusion of the chassis components into the battery system by absorbing energy. A bolt or fastener affixing a chassis component to the frame is strengthened by the shear bracket.