Detachable EV Compartments for Low-Power Delivery Hand-Off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicles face inefficiencies and risks when running low on power, leading to potential delays or failures in delivering loads, especially when there is no nearby charging or fueling station.
Innovation Solution
A compartmentalized electric vehicle (EV) with detachable compartments, each equipped with a power supply, motor, and autonomous operation features, allows for power sharing and detachment to ensure delivery to multiple destinations, using magnetic attraction and processors for charge management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional vehicle delivers a load to a destination, then the delivery function is performed, but the vehicle may run out of power and fail to complete the delivery or reach a charging station
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle is divided into a main body and detachable compartments, each with its own power supply. This segmentation allows the load-carrying compartment to be separated from the main vehicle body, enabling independent power management and ensuring that the load can be delivered even if the main vehicle runs out of power.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable compartment is pre-equipped with its own power supply and autonomous operation features before departure. This preliminary action ensures that the compartment has sufficient power to reach the destination independently, preventing delivery failure due to main vehicle power depletion.
2Reliability
If a vehicle runs low on power and needs emergency services, then the vehicle may be assisted by a tow truck, but the delivery timeline is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The detachable compartment is equipped with autonomous operation features and its own power supply, enabling it to navigate and deliver loads independently without requiring assistance from the main vehicle or external tow trucks. This self-service capability prevents delivery delays caused by vehicle breakdowns.
3Productivity
If manually operated vehicles deliver multiple loads in the same trip, then transportation efficiency is improved, but the complexity of managing multiple destinations increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each load is placed in a separate detachable compartment, allowing the main vehicle to deliver multiple loads by detaching and reattaching different compartments at various destinations. This segmentation simplifies route management compared to manually switching between different vehicles or manually loading/unloading multiple items.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle system dynamically adjusts its configuration by attaching and detaching compartments based on the delivery route and remaining power levels. This dynamic adaptability allows efficient multi-destination deliveries while maintaining simple operational control.
4Reliability
If detachable compartments are used with separate power systems, then delivery reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle is segmented into a main body and detachable compartments, each with independent power supplies. This segmentation improves reliability by isolating power failures to individual compartments while maintaining overall system simplicity through standardized attachment and detachment mechanisms.
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
Ensures timely and efficient delivery of loads by enabling power transfer between compartments and autonomous operation, even when individual compartments run low on charge, thereby preventing delivery failures.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the plurality of detachable compartments may further include a magnet attached to an external surface of the compartment. The plurality of detachable compartments may be attached to each other via magnetic attraction from the magnets.
Implementation Method 2
determine a meeting location for handing off the load in the second EV; causing the first EV to travel to the meeting location; in response to obtaining the load from the second EV, causing the first EV to travel to the destination
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for power transfer and routing in a compartmentalized electric vehicle (EV) having detachable compartments, and for handing off a load from one EV to another EV for delivering the load to a destination are described herein. Each detachable compartment in the compartmentalized EV may have a separate power supply, motor, set of wheels, and/or autonomous operation features. The detachable compartments may attach to each other, such that each of the detachable compartments combine to form a compartmentalized EV that travels to a particular location.