Seat-Surround Battery Layout for Compact Electric Vehicle Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric vehicles face challenges in integrating large capacity batteries, which are bulky and heavy, making it difficult to achieve a travel range comparable to internal combustion engine vehicles while maintaining conventional vehicle designs, affecting handling and energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The battery is arranged to extend around the vehicle seat, forming a 'U' or horseshoe shape, reducing the vehicle's size and improving handling by lowering the center of mass and reducing the longitudinal moment of inertia, allowing for more efficient energy storage and improved maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If large capacity batteries are integrated into the vehicle to achieve comparable travel range, then the travel range is improved, but the vehicle size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is arranged around the seat in a three-dimensional configuration rather than being placed in a single location, utilizing vertical and lateral space around the seat to accommodate large capacity batteries without increasing the vehicle's footprint
2Duration of action of moving object
If large capacity batteries are integrated into the vehicle to achieve comparable travel range, then the travel range is improved, but the handling and energy efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is positioned around the seat with its center of mass aligned with the vehicle's center of gravity, creating a balanced weight distribution that improves handling and reduces the risk of rollover while accommodating large capacity batteries
Solution Approach 2:
The three-dimensional arrangement of the battery around the seat reduces the longitudinal moment of inertia by distributing mass more evenly along the vehicle's length, improving maneuverability and handling characteristics
3Device complexity
If the battery is located underneath the seat, then the vehicle structure is simplified, but the center of mass height increases reducing handling stability
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is arranged around the seat in a three-dimensional configuration that extends both underneath and alongside the seat, allowing the center of mass to be positioned lower and more centrally, improving handling stability while maintaining structural simplicity
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an electric vehicle including: a cockpit containing a first seat having a seating surface for receiving an occupant; and a battery having a first side part disposed on a first side of the first seat, a second side part disposed on a second, opposite side of the first seat, and an intermediate part located between the first and second side parts, each of the first side, second side and intermediate parts having a plurality of battery cells; wherein at least part of the seating surface is lower than an uppermost surface of the battery. For example, the battery may have a “U” shape, such that it fits around the seat. Fitting the battery around the seat in this manner enables the vehicle size to be reduced, and improves handling of the vehicle. The reduced dimensions of the vehicle further contributes to an improved energy efficiency of the vehicle.