Fuel Cell Stack Mount Bracket Cutout Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel cell vehicle mount mechanisms fail to adequately protect the fuel cell stack from excessive loads during under-ride collisions, leading to potential damage or breakage.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell vehicle design featuring a stack mount system with cutout portions in the stack-side or frame-side brackets, allowing the stack to release and move under excessive loads, while maintaining fixation under normal conditions, and incorporating rubber members for additional frictional resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the stack mount uses a rigid fixing structure to securely retain the fuel cell stack, then the retaining function is improved, but the fuel cell stack may be damaged by excessive loads during under-ride collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The stack mount transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic system where the bracket can rotate about the fixing member axis. This rotation allows the mount to adapt its configuration based on applied loads - maintaining a fixed retaining configuration for normal loads and transitioning to a released configuration when excessive loads are detected, thus resolving the contradiction between secure retention and damage prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing member acts as an intermediary element between the bracket and the housing box frame. It enables controlled rotation and movement of the bracket, serving as a mediator that allows the bracket to release from its fixed position when excessive loads are applied, preventing direct transmission of harmful forces to the fuel cell stack while maintaining normal retaining function
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the stack mount allows the bracket to release under excessive loads to protect the fuel cell stack, then damage prevention is improved, but the retaining function deteriorates under normal conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes its mechanical parameters (position, orientation) based on load conditions. Under normal conditions, the bracket maintains a fixed parameter state providing strong retention. When excessive loads are applied, the bracket rotates to a released parameter state, preventing damage. This dynamic parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining retention and preventing damage
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 design effectively reduces the likelihood of fuel cell stack damage by releasing the stack from excessive loads during collisions, while maintaining secure mounting under normal conditions, thus preventing breakage and ensuring the stack's integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a rubber member inserted between the stack-side bracket and the frame-side bracket
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell vehicle comprises a fuel cell stack that is mounted in a housing box placed on a front or rear side of a passenger compartment. The fuel cell stack is housed in a stack casing, and the stack casing is mounted on a frame of the housing box via a stack mount. The stack mount includes: a stack-side bracket provided in the stack casing; a frame-side bracket provided in the frame; and a fixing member configured to fix the stack-side bracket and the frame-side bracket together. The stack mount has at least either one of: (a) a first structure in which a cutout portion is formed in the stack-side bracket on one side thereof which faces a proximal end portion, the proximal end portion being one of a front end portion and a rear end portion of the fuel cell vehicle which is closer to the housing box; or (b) a second structure in which a cutout portion is formed in the frame-side bracket on one side thereof which faces a distal end portion, the distal end portion being another one of the front end portion and the rear end portion of the fuel cell vehicle which is farther from the housing box.