Modular EV Frame Structure With PV Charging and Active Battery Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The construction of electric vehicles is complex and costly, limiting manufacturers' ability to quickly respond to market demands, and existing technologies do not efficiently utilize photovoltaic cells for recharging the battery pack.
Innovation Solution
The electric vehicle features a simplified frame and suspension system made from high-strength steel tubes, integrated photovoltaic panels for energy harvesting, and a dynamic battery management system that actively balances the battery pack using DC/DC converters and switching circuits to optimize recharging efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional pressed metal sheet elements welded together are used for vehicle body construction, then manufacturing precision and structural strength can be achieved, but production costs and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body is divided into modular components: a reticular frame structure consisting of separate longitudinal members and cross members that can be manufactured independently and assembled together. This segmentation allows each component to be produced using simpler, less expensive processes while maintaining overall structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The floor panel is merged with the battery pack container into a single integrated structure. The floor acts simultaneously as a structural element of the vehicle frame and as a container for the battery pack, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing and assembly processes for these two components
2Strength
If traditional body construction methods are used, then structural strength is maintained, but investment costs for production equipment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into standardized reticular components with regular geometric patterns, allowing the use of simple, cost-effective welding equipment rather than complex forming and pressing equipment. The longitudinal members and cross members can be produced using basic tubular fabrication processes
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from sheet metal parameters (thickness, grain structure, forming complexity) to tubular parameters (diameter, wall thickness, cross-sectional geometry). This parameter change enables the use of simpler manufacturing equipment while achieving comparable or superior structural properties through the inherent strength-to-weight ratio of tubular structures
3Use of energy by moving object
If photovoltaic cells are arranged on outer surfaces for recharging, then energy harvesting capability is improved, but vehicle structure complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The floor panel is merged with the battery pack container, and photovoltaic cells are integrated onto this combined structure. This merging allows the energy harvesting surface to be incorporated into an existing structural element without adding separate components or assembly steps
Solution Approach 2:
The floor panel serves multiple functions: structural support for the vehicle, container for the battery pack, and mounting surface for photovoltaic cells. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated photovoltaic mounting structures, simplifying the overall construction
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 reduces production costs, enhances safety, and improves battery pack efficiency through active balancing and dynamic reconfiguration, allowing for efficient recharging from photovoltaic cells, external power, and regenerative braking.
Implementation Method 1
arrangement of photovoltaic cells arranged on the outer surfaces of the vehicle, and usable for recharging the battery pack of the electric vehicle
Implementation Method 2
recharging the battery pack of the electric vehicle, both in the recharging phase by an outer power supply network, and in the recharging step while the vehicle is running, by means of a braking energy recovery system
Data Source
AI summary
An electric vehicle has a frame configured with a cell module , a front anti-crash module and a rear module, each having a reticular structure formed by high-strength steel arms, welded together and each having a hollow structure with a quadrangular cross-section. A front axle unit and a rear axle unit each including an electric drive motor are associated with the front frame module and the rear frame module. The frame has a floor, which acts as a container for a battery pack for the electric drive motors of the vehicle.