Excavator Battery Module Stacking for Flexible Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrically operated excavators face challenges in efficiently adjusting the capacity of their power storage devices to match varying user usage modes, leading to potential energy inefficiencies and increased costs due to either excessive weight or reduced capacity.
Innovation Solution
The excavator design incorporates a power storage system with stacked modules, where adjacent modules are coupled, allowing for easy adjustment of capacity by changing the number of modules, and includes a DC-DC converter configuration that switches between operation modes based on current demand to optimize energy usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed capacity power storage device is used, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to varying user usage modes leading to energy inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The power storage device is divided into multiple independent power storage modules that can be stacked vertically. Each module includes a power storage part and housing, with coupling structures that enable easy connection and disconnection. This segmentation allows the system to be configured with different numbers of modules based on usage requirements, providing adaptability while maintaining simple individual module structures.
2Duration of action of moving object
If more power storage modules are added to increase capacity, then operating time is extended, but device weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The power storage device employs a dynamic configuration where the number of stacked modules can be adjusted according to actual usage needs. Users can add or remove modules to match the required operating duration, avoiding the weight and cost penalties of a permanently oversized power storage system. The coupling structures facilitate this dynamic reconfiguration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If power storage modules are designed to be easily adjustable, then adaptability improves, but connection reliability may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The power storage device is divided into multiple independent power storage modules that can be stacked vertically. Each module includes a power storage part and housing, with coupling structures that enable easy connection and disconnection. This segmentation allows the system to be configured with different numbers of modules based on usage requirements, providing adaptability while maintaining simple individual module structures.
Solution Approach 2:
Adjacent power storage modules are coupled together through coupling parts that integrate electrical connections and mechanical support. The housing of adjacent modules are coupled to each other, creating a unified structure that maintains reliability while allowing for easy assembly and disassembly when configuration changes are needed.
Data Source
AI summary
An excavator includes a lower traveling body; an upper turning body turnably mounted to the lower traveling body; an actuator configured to drive a driven part including the lower traveling body and the upper turning body; and a power storage device mounted in the upper turning body and configured to serve as an energy source for driving the actuator. The power storage device includes a plurality of power storage modules stacked in a vertical direction, each of the plurality of power storage modules including a power storage part and a housing configured to house the power storage part. The housings of power storage modules among the plurality of power storage modules that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, are coupled to each other.