Modular Trailer Propulsion Axle for Aftermarket Truck Electrification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current transportation systems face challenges in efficiently electrifying trucks with minimal hardware installations, reducing vehicle downtime, and providing autonomous torque augmentation for diesel engines.
Innovation Solution
A modular vehicle system that includes a set of vehicle couplings, a chassis, a battery pack, an electric powertrain, a sensor suite, and a controller, which can be attached to a tractor and trailer to provide an intervening electric drive axle, enabling electric propulsion and autonomous vehicle control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a modular vehicle system with electric powertrain is attached to a tractor and trailer, then after-market trucking electrification is enabled with minimal hardware installations, but the device complexity increases due to additional couplings, battery pack, and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The electric propulsion system is divided into modular components including a vehicle coupling unit, battery pack, electric powertrain, and control system that can be independently installed and attached to existing tractor-trailer configurations. This segmentation enables after-market electrification without requiring complete system redesign or extensive structural modifications to the base vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle coupling unit is designed with universal compatibility to interface with standard tractor and trailer configurations. The electric powertrain system can be attached to various tractor-trailer combinations, providing multi-functional applicability across different vehicle types and enabling broad adoption without vehicle-specific customization.
2Loss of time
If the modular vehicle system is designed with detachable couplings and modular components, then vehicle downtime is minimized during attachment and detachment operations, but the device complexity increases due to multiple coupling mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle coupling unit incorporates pre-configured connection interfaces and alignment features that enable rapid attachment and detachment operations. Components are pre-positioned and pre-aligned to minimize adjustment time during coupling operations, allowing the system to be quickly attached to or detached from tractor-trailer configurations without extensive manual configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle coupling unit serves as an intermediary component that simplifies the connection between the electric powertrain module and the tractor-trailer system. This intermediate coupling mechanism handles the complexity of multiple connection points and alignment requirements, providing a standardized interface that reduces attachment time while managing the inherent complexity through a dedicated coupling specialist component.
3Speed
If the electric powertrain provides autonomous torque augmentation for the diesel engine, then acceleration performance is improved, but the use of energy increases due to battery consumption during propulsion
Solution Approach 1:
The electric powertrain operates in periodic cycles, providing torque augmentation during high-demand acceleration phases and disengaging during steady-state cruising. The system intelligently modulates electric motor engagement based on instantaneous power requirements, enabling the diesel engine to operate in its efficient range during normal operation while providing electric assist only when acceleration performance is needed, thereby optimizing the balance between speed improvement and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational parameters of the electric powertrain, including torque output, power level, and engagement duration, based on real-time vehicle conditions and battery state of charge. By varying these parameters adaptively, the system provides maximum acceleration performance when required while minimizing energy consumption during low-demand periods, effectively managing the trade-off between speed improvement and battery usage.
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 solution enables after-market trucking electrification with reduced hardware installations, minimizes vehicle downtime, and provides autonomous torque augmentation, improving acceleration performance and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
an electric motor configured to provide propulsion torque to the drive wheels in response to a control signal from the controller
Implementation Method 2
a battery pack configured to supply electrical energy to the electric motor
Data Source
AI summary
The vehicle system can include: a set of vehicle couplings (e.g., a tractor interface, a trailer interface, etc.); a chassis, a battery pack, an electric powertrain, a sensor suite, and a controller. The modular vehicle system can optionally include landing gear, a suspension, and any other suitable set of components. The vehicle system functions to structurally support and/or tow a trailer—such as a Class 8 semi-trailer—and/or to augment/supplement a tractor propulsive capability (e.g., via a diesel/combustion engine) with a supplementary electric drive axle(s).