Segmented Reinforcement Pillar for Vehicle Fuel Tank Impact Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reinforcement members in vehicle fuel tanks either fail to absorb impact effectively, leading to fuel leakage due to excessive stiffness, or deform excessively due to insufficient stiffness, and are not designed to maintain structural integrity under both positive and negative pressures.
Innovation Solution
A reinforcement pillar with upper and lower fastening legs, upper and lower fusion structures, and breakable parts that absorb impact by breaking under threshold forces, maintaining fusion with the fuel tank plates while supporting tensile and compressive forces, and featuring upper and lower breaking ribs to manage stress distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the stiffness of the reinforcement pillar is increased to prevent fuel tank deformation under pressure, then the fuel tank maintains structural integrity under positive and negative pressure, but the reinforcement pillar becomes too rigid to break during collision, causing fused portions to rupture and fuel leakage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement pillar is segmented into multiple sections with varying thicknesses, creating distinct zones with different mechanical properties. The first section has greater thickness for high stiffness under pressure, while the second section has reduced thickness to serve as a breakable zone during collision, preventing fused portion rupture
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the reinforcement pillar are designed with locally differentiated properties: the first section maintains high stiffness for pressure resistance, while the second section is locally weakened with reduced thickness to enable controlled breakage during impact, ensuring the pillar breaks in the intended zone rather than at fused portions
2Reliability
If the stiffness of the reinforcement pillar is decreased to enable breakage during collision, then the reinforcement pillar can absorb impact by breaking, but the fuel tank deforms excessively under positive and negative pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement pillar is divided into functional segments: a first section with sufficient thickness to maintain stiffness for pressure support, and a second section with reduced thickness designed to break during collision. This segmentation allows the pillar to fulfill both contradictory requirements in different zones
Solution Approach 2:
The pillar exhibits local quality variations where the first section has high stiffness for pressure resistance while the second section has locally reduced strength for controlled breakage. This localized property differentiation resolves the contradiction between needing overall stiffness and enabling specific breakage points
3Reliability
If a concave breakable part is formed in the reinforcement pillar to enable impact absorption, then the reinforcement pillar can break during collision, but the breakable part may not break when the pillar is too stiff, causing fused portions to rupture instead
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a single concave breakable part, the pillar is segmented into multiple sections with progressively varying thicknesses. The second section has specifically reduced thickness to ensure it becomes the preferred breakage zone, guaranteeing the pillar breaks in the intended location even when the overall structure is stiff
Solution Approach 2:
The second section is designed with locally reduced thickness to create a controlled weakness zone. This local quality modification ensures that under impact conditions, stress concentrates in this specific zone causing breakage there, while the first section maintains sufficient stiffness to prevent premature failure at fused portions
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
The solution effectively maintains fuel tank stiffness under pressure and absorbs impact without rupturing the fuel tank, preventing fuel leakage by ensuring the reinforcement pillar breaks at the correct stress points during collisions, thus enhancing safety and preventing deformation.
Implementation Method 1
an upper surface of the upper fusion structure is fused to an inner surface of an upper plate of a fuel tank... a lower surface of the lower fusion structure is fused to an inner surface of a lower plate of the fuel tank
Data Source
AI summary
A device for reinforcing vehicle fuel tank improves a structure of a rigid reinforcement pillar mounted in an enclosed fuel tank by maintaining stiffness of the reinforcement pillar in a state in which the fuel tank is under positive pressure and an engine negative pressure acts thereon as well as inducing breakage of the reinforcement pillar when a large impact applies, such as in the event of vehicle collision, thereby preventing a fused portion between upper and lower plates of the fuel tank from rupturing.