Fuel Tank Array Assembly With Detachable Impact and Corrosion Shield
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel tank assemblies for vehicles are exposed to the outside, making them susceptible to damage from external collisions or corrosion, which can lead to fuel leaks.
Innovation Solution
A fuel storage assembly comprising four fuel tanks arranged to form a square cross-section, with a spacer arrangement and tensioning straps to secure the tanks, and a protecting element detachably fixed to the tensioning strap to cover the tanks, providing protection from external damage and corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the fuel tanks are exposed to the outside for easy access and simpler structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the fuel tanks become vulnerable to external damage and corrosion
Solution Approach 1:
A protecting element is introduced as an intermediary component between the external environment and the fuel tanks. This protecting element covers the peripheral sides of the tank array, shielding the fuel tanks from external objects and corrosive materials while allowing the tanks to remain accessible and maintain their original structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The protecting element is designed to cover only the peripheral sides of the tank array rather than enclosing the entire structure. This segmented approach provides protection where needed (at the exposed boundaries) while leaving the interior tanks accessible and maintaining structural simplicity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a protecting element is added to cover the fuel tanks, then the protection against external damage is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protecting element is integrated with the existing tensioning strap system. The protecting element is detachably fixed to the tensioning strap, combining the protective function with the existing structural component, thereby minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protecting element is designed to be detachably fixed rather than permanently attached. This dynamic connection allows the protecting element to be installed or removed as needed, providing protection when required while maintaining system simplicity when the protection is not needed.
3Reliability
If multiple linking elements are used to detachably fix the protecting element, then the protection stability is improved, but the mounting time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using linking elements at all four sides of the tank array, the design uses a limited number of linking elements (at least two) positioned at critical locations (bottom or top side, and left or right side). This partial action provides sufficient protection stability while reducing the time required for mounting compared to a complete enclosure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a fuel storage assembly (10) for a motor vehicle (1) comprising: • four fuel tanks (12) arranged to form each a corner of a substantially square cross-section of a tank array (11), • a spacer arrangement (13, 14) configured to keep said fuel tanks (12) apart, said spacer arrangement (13, 14) comprising at least one side bracket (13) disposed along one of the vertical peripheral sides (112, 114) of the tank array (11), the at least one side bracket (13) being arranged to be fixed to a vehicle chassis (3), and at least one central bracket (14) disposed between the fuel tanks (12) in the center of the tank array (11), • at least one tensioning strap (15) disposed around the fuel tanks (12) and configured to be secured at one first end (151) to a top part of the at least one side bracket (13) and at one second end (152) to a bottom part of the at least one side bracket (13), the at least one tensioning strap (15) pressing the fuel tanks (12) together in the tank array (11), • a protecting element (16) configured to cover at least partially one or more of the horizontal and vertical peripheral sides (111-114) of the tank array (11), the protecting element (16) being detachably fixed to the at least one tensioning strap (15).