Fuel Cell Stack Mount Detachment for Front Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fuel cell vehicles face damage to the fuel cell stack and high voltage components during front-side collisions due to deformation, which can lead to significant damage and malfunction.
Innovation Solution
The fuel cell vehicle incorporates a damper portion and a high rigidity portion in the first component, with the stack frame fixed to a chassis via a mount that detaches upon impact, allowing the fuel cell stack and high voltage component to be isolated from the impact load, minimizing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the fuel cell stack and high voltage component are fixed rigidly in the front compartment, then structural stability is improved, but damage risk during collision increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first component is divided into a damper portion and a high rigidity portion, creating segmented functional zones that handle different aspects of impact protection
Solution Approach 2:
The damper portion is pre-configured to deform and absorb impact energy before it reaches the fuel cell stack and high voltage component, providing beforehand cushioning against collision forces
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the damper portion is made more deformable to buffer impact, then collision protection is improved, but structural strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the first component have different mechanical properties: the damper portion is designed to be deformable for impact absorption, while the high rigidity portion maintains structural strength, creating local quality variations throughout the component
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the mount is designed to detach easily to protect components, then collision protection is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mount transitions from a static rigid connection to a dynamic system that can detach under sufficient impact load, allowing the structural stability to adapt based on collision severity while protecting components
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 reduces the risk of breakage and deformation of the fuel cell stack and high voltage component by absorbing and distributing impact loads, ensuring the components remain functional post-collision.
Implementation Method 1
The damper portion deforms due to an impact load from the second component moving toward the first component to buffer the impact load from the second component
Implementation Method 2
the damper portion deforms due to an impact load from the second component moving toward the first component to buffer the impact load
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a fuel cell vehicle that allows minimally suppressing damage of a fuel cell stack and a high voltage component as important components when the vehicle collides from a front side. An ion exchanger as a first component includes a tubular portion and a cap portion. When the front side of the fuel cell vehicle collides, the tubular portion deforms due to an impact load from a radiator as a second component moving toward the ion exchanger to buffer an impact from the radiator. The cap portion restricts additional deformation of a damper portion when the impact load from the radiator becomes a predetermined magnitude or more. A stack frame and a chassis are joined and fixed via mounts such that the stack frame is detached from the chassis due to the impact load from the radiator when the deformation of the tubular portion is restricted by the cap portion.