Electric Refuse Vehicle Battery Assembly for Replaceable Cell Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refuse vehicles rely on combustion engines, which contribute to environmental pollution and operational inefficiencies, while also lacking efficient and accessible energy storage systems.
Innovation Solution
A refuse vehicle equipped with an electric energy system comprising detachable battery cells and control hardware, which is fully powered by the electric system and does not include a combustion engine, allowing for easy access and replacement of battery cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If combustion engines are used to power refuse vehicles, then operational reliability is improved, but environmental pollution increases and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the combustion engine (mechanical system) with an electric motor powered by battery cells. This substitution eliminates harmful emissions while providing sufficient torque for refuse vehicle operations, directly resolving the contradiction between operational reliability and environmental pollution.
2Quantity of substance
If battery cells are integrated into the vehicle body, then energy storage capacity is improved, but accessibility for maintenance and charging deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery system into multiple individual battery cells that are separately accessible through doors in the vehicle body. This segmentation allows the vehicle to maintain high energy storage capacity while enabling easy access to individual cells for maintenance, monitoring, and replacement without disassembling the entire battery system.
3Productivity
If battery cells are made replaceable, then uptime is improved through hot-swapping, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic battery system where cells can be replaced while the vehicle is operating (hot-swapping). The electrical connections are designed to be quickly disconnected and reconnected, allowing battery cells to be swapped during operation to maintain continuous uptime, with the complexity managed through standardized connection interfaces.
4Reliability
If control hardware is integrated with battery cells, then system reliability is improved, but ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates control hardware from individual battery cells, placing control hardware in distinct locations within the battery assembly. This segmentation allows technicians to access and repair control hardware independently of the battery cells themselves, improving ease of repair while maintaining system reliability through dedicated control systems.
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 electric refuse vehicle achieves reduced environmental impact, lower operational costs, and increased uptime due to hot-swappable batteries, while also facilitating easier maintenance and charging.
Implementation Method 1
an electric energy system including one or more battery cells and control hardware
Data Source
AI summary
A refuse vehicle including a chassis, a body assembly coupled to the chassis, the body assembly defining a refuse compartment, and an electric energy system, the electric energy system including one or more battery cells and control hardware, the electric energy system detachably coupled to the body and configured to be accessed by a door in the body, and wherein the one or more battery cells of the electric energy system are replaceable.