Tailor-Welded Battery Tray for Vehicle Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery tray designs for vehicles require full replacement after minor structural damage, leading to increased costs and inefficiencies in absorbing impact loads while minimizing battery cell damage.
Innovation Solution
A battery tray assembly with a tub structure featuring alternating portions of varying strength and thickness, made from different materials, and tailor-welded to enhance torsion, rigidity, and side impact strength, utilizing cross-members for improved energy absorption and reduced mass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If uniform strength battery tray design is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but mass cannot be reduced and impact protection is insufficient in critical areas
Solution Approach 1:
The battery tray employs varying material thicknesses in different regions, with thicker material (e.g., 3mm) in high-impact areas like side walls and front/rear walls, and thinner material (e.g., 1.5mm) in low-impact areas like the base. This local quality differentiation provides enhanced strength where needed while reducing overall mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery tray utilizes composite construction with different material properties in different sections. The structure combines varying thicknesses and potentially different material grades to create a composite-like effect, optimizing the balance between protection and weight.
2Strength
If thicker material is used throughout the battery tray, then strength and impact resistance improve, but mass increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side walls are constructed with thicker material (e.g., 3mm) specifically to enhance side impact strength, while other areas use thinner material. This localized quality enhancement provides the required side impact protection without unnecessarily increasing overall weight.
3Loss of energy
If uniform material thickness is used, then manufacturing is easier, but energy absorption capability is insufficient in critical impact zones
Solution Approach 1:
The battery tray employs varying material thicknesses (e.g., 1.5mm base, 3mm side walls) to optimize energy absorption in different zones. Thicker sections in high-impact areas enhance energy absorption capability while maintaining reasonable manufacturing complexity through standardized forming processes.
4Reliability
If full battery tray replacement is required after minor damage, then structural integrity is maintained, but cost increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery tray is designed as a modular structure with distinct sections (base, side walls, front wall, rear wall) that can be independently assessed for damage. This segmentation enables selective replacement of only damaged portions rather than requiring complete tray replacement, improving maintenance efficiency while preserving structural integrity.
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 absorbs energy loads, reduces mass, and enhances side impact strength, allowing for efficient protection of battery cells without the need for full tray replacement, thereby lowering costs and improving vehicle safety.
Implementation Method 1
The first portion is welded to the second portion prior to forming the tub
Data Source
AI summary
A battery tray for a vehicle includes a tub having a base, a first side wall connected to the base, and a second side wall connected to the base and disposed opposite the first side wall. The tub includes a first portion with a first strength, the first portion extending from the first side wall through the base to the second side wall, and a second portion with a second strength, the second portion extending from the first side wall through the base to the second side wall. The second strength is greater than the first strength. The first portion is welded to the second portion prior to forming the tub.