Fuel Cell Vehicle Frame Layout for Tank Space and Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle designs face challenges in securing sufficient space for fuel tanks and batteries while maintaining vehicle rigidity, particularly in vehicles using alternative energy sources like hydrogen fuel cells.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle frame structure comprising a first frame, a second frame, and a support frame that connects the first and second frames, with fluid tanks on the outer sides and a battery disposed between them, ensuring adequate space and rigidity through a unique cross-member configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If a bulky fuel tank is installed in the vehicle body or frame, then sufficient space for fuel storage is secured, but space utilization and vehicle rigidity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places the battery inside the hollow cross-member structure of the frame, nesting one component within another. This allows the battery to occupy space that would otherwise be structural, enabling fuel tanks to be positioned externally while maintaining frame rigidity through the nested battery-cage configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension by extending the cross-member downward to support fuel tanks, and positioning the battery within the hollow section. This multi-level spatial arrangement allows all components to coexist without compromising horizontal space utilization or structural strength
2Volume of stationary object
If a bulky fuel tank is installed in the vehicle body or frame, then sufficient space for fuel storage is secured, but space utilization is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is nested within the hollow cross-member, allowing fuel tanks to be mounted externally on the cross-member without occupying additional horizontal space. This nesting approach maximizes space utilization by utilizing vertical and internal cavity spaces
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure is designed with flexible mounting positions for fuel tanks on the external surfaces of cross-members, allowing optimization of space utilization based on specific vehicle configurations while maintaining structural integrity
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle frame for a fuel cell includes a first frame, a second frame, and a support frame interconnecting the first frame and the second frame and provided with a fluid tank and a battery mounted thereon. The fluid tank includes a pair of fluid tanks on outer sides of the first frame and the second frame in a width direction, and the battery is disposed between the pair of fluid tanks.