Fuel Cell Vehicle Dashboard Overlapping Portion Collision Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
In fuel cell vehicles, the fuel cell and auxiliary machines are prone to entering the vehicle interior during a front collision, potentially deforming the hydrogen gas tank and compromising the vehicle's safety due to their placement and movement dynamics.
Innovation Solution
The fuel cell vehicle design includes a dashboard with an overlapping portion that creates a receiving space behind the tank and auxiliary machines, allowing them to move rearward and absorb kinetic energy, reducing the force of their motion and preventing deformation of the tank, while reinforcement members are strategically placed to enhance structural integrity without interfering with the rearward motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the fuel cell is moved rearward and downward in the event of a front collision, then the fuel cell is prevented from entering the vehicle interior, but the fuel cell is likely to hit against the tank and deform the tank
Solution Approach 1:
The dashboard overlapping portion is positioned in advance to create a receiving space that guides the fuel cell's rearward motion. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that during collision, the fuel cell moves into the predetermined space rather than directly impacting the tank, thus preventing tank deformation while maintaining fuel cell containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The dashboard overlapping portion acts as an intermediary structure between the fuel cell and the tank. It provides a receiving space that absorbs and redirects the force of the moving fuel cell, preventing direct contact between the fuel cell and the tank, thereby eliminating the harmful effect of tank deformation.
2Force
If the fuel cell is moved rearward along a horizontal direction, then the fuel cell is likely to enter the vehicle interior beyond the dashboard
Solution Approach 1:
The dashboard is designed with differentiated local qualities: the overlapping portion extends rearward to create a receiving space for horizontal motion absorption, while the front end maintains its structural position to prevent vehicle interior intrusion. This local differentiation allows the dashboard to simultaneously manage horizontal displacement and vertical containment of the fuel cell.
3Reliability
If the dashboard is extended rearward to prevent fuel cell intrusion, then the vehicle interior is narrowed
Solution Approach 1:
The dashboard is segmented into two functional portions: the overlapping portion that extends rearward to create the receiving space for fuel cell containment, and the front end portion that maintains its original position to preserve vehicle interior space. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other, thus resolving the contradiction between containment reliability and interior space availability.
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
This configuration effectively prevents the fuel cell and auxiliary machines from entering the vehicle interior beyond the dashboard, absorbs kinetic energy, and maintains the structural integrity of the tank, enhancing safety and stability during a front collision.
Implementation Method 1
a receiving space is provided between a rear end of the fuel cell and the overlapping portion of the dashboard and is configured to allow at least part of the rear portion of the fuel cell to be moved to behind the front end of the tank in the event of a front collision of the fuel cell vehicle
Implementation Method 2
The friction during motion or the like reduces the force of the motion of the fuel cell and suppresses the fuel cell from entering the vehicle interior beyond the dashboard
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell vehicle comprises a front room; a vehicle interior; a fuel cell in the front room; a center tunnel; a tank that is at least partly placed in the center tunnel and stores a gas to be supplied to the fuel cell; and a dashboard that separates the front room from the vehicle interior, wherein the fuel cell is placed above the tank such that a profile of the fuel cell does not overlap with a center axis of the tank, the dashboard has an overlapping portion arranged to overlap with a rear portion of the fuel cell and that is located behind a front end of the tank, at least part of a remaining portion of the dashboard other than the overlapping portion is placed flush with the front end of the tank in a vehicle longitudinal direction or is placed in front of the front end of the tank, and in a normal state, a receiving space is provided between a rear end of the fuel cell and the overlapping portion and is configured to allow at least part of the rear portion of the fuel cell to be moved to behind the front end of the tank when the front collision occurs.