Composite BEV Chassis and Crash Structure for Lightweight Repairable Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric vehicles face inefficiencies due to structural inefficiencies and high manufacturing complexity, leading to increased weight and costs, which impact their performance and utility.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight composite electric vehicle design utilizing a chassis mainframe with crash structures, suspension towers, and body panels made from composite materials like bi-directional Twintex® E-glass fiber with PP resin, employing flanged joints and adhesive bonds for load transfer and ease of repair, and pultruded composite beams for reduced weight and enhanced efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional materials (metals, alloys) are used for vehicle structure, then strength and durability are ensured, but weight increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials consisting of continuous E-glass fiber bundles in a polypropylene matrix for manufacturing vehicle components including crash structures, suspension towers, and body panels. This composite material provides the necessary structural strength and durability while significantly reducing vehicle weight compared to conventional metal materials, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional manufacturing techniques are used, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but device complexity increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the vehicle body into multiple modular components including front crash structure, rear crash structure, suspension towers, and body panels, each manufactured separately using composite materials and then assembled using flanged joints. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for manufacturing efficiency while reducing overall device complexity and enabling easier assembly and repair operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional metals to composite materials (continuous E-glass fiber in polypropylene matrix), which fundamentally alters the manufacturing approach. This parameter change enables the use of flanged joints for assembly, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing device complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized connection methods.
3Weight of moving object
If vehicle weight is reduced through lightweight materials, then efficiency and range are improved, but structural strength and crash safety may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials with continuous E-glass fiber bundles in a polypropylene matrix that provide high strength-to-weight ratio. This composite material ensures crash safety and structural integrity while achieving significant weight reduction, directly resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and maintaining structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements segmented crash structures at the front and rear of the vehicle, designed to absorb and manage crash forces. These dedicated crash structures are separately optimized for impact absorption while the main body uses lightweight composite materials, ensuring crash safety is maintained without compromising the overall weight reduction benefits.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, an Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) system for passenger and cargo applications comprising: a chassis mainframe coupled with a plurality of crash structures; wherein the plurality of crash structures comprises: a front crash structure and a rear crash structure, wherein the front crash structure is attached to the chassis mainframe through a first flanged joint, with a first adhesive bond between one or more flanges and suitable rivets, and wherein a flanged joint butts two beams the plurality of crash structures to provide both a load path for a load transfer from the plurality of crash structures and a base for arresting a crash deformation, wherein the flanged joint enables ease of repair in case of damage to the crash structure, requiring complete replacement of the crash structure.