Truck Electric Vehicle Frame Structure with Nested Battery Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In truck-type electric vehicles, the exposure of drive batteries to the outside due to their mounting on the frame leads to electromagnetic interference, water ingress, and vulnerability to collisions, requiring additional protective measures that increase size and cost, and necessitate enhanced frame rigidity.
Innovation Solution
A frame structure with hat-shaped side members and inverted hat-shaped sub-frames, along with cross members and side-member covers, forms closed cross-sections to protect the drive battery from water, electromagnetic interference, and collision loads, while maintaining structural integrity and concealing high-voltage cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the drive battery is disposed along the side members of the frame, then the battery can be supported by the frame structure, but the battery becomes exposed to the outside causing electromagnetic interference, water ingress, and collision vulnerability
Solution Approach 1:
The drive battery is nested within a dedicated battery mounting structure that is integrated into the frame. The battery is positioned between the side members and cross members, creating a nested configuration where the battery is contained within the frame's structural envelope rather than being exposed on the exterior
Solution Approach 2:
A battery mounting structure acts as an intermediary between the frame and the drive battery. This intermediate structure provides protective barriers including side walls and bottom walls that shield the battery from electromagnetic interference and water ingress while maintaining structural support
2Ease of manufacture
If the drive battery is disposed along the side members, then the battery can be easily accessed and installed, but the high-voltage cables and battery become exposed to the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The high-voltage cables are routed through the battery mounting structure and frame members, nesting the cable pathways within the protective structural envelope. This prevents cable exposure while maintaining accessible connection points for installation and maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The battery mounting structure serves as an intermediary that provides protected pathways for high-voltage cables. The side walls and bottom walls of the mounting structure create enclosed channels that shield cables from environmental hazards while allowing for cable routing and connection
3Strength
If the frame rigidity is enhanced to support the drive battery, then the frame can withstand deformations during vehicle running, but the frame structure becomes more complex and heavier
Solution Approach 1:
The battery mounting structure is merged with the frame structure, combining the functions of battery support and structural reinforcement. The side members and cross members serve dual purposes: providing the frame's structural integrity and forming the protective enclosure for the battery, eliminating the need for separate reinforcing elements
Data Source
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AI summary
A frame structure for use in a truck-type or pickup-type electric vehicle having a drive motor and a drive battery configured to supply electric power to the drive motor, includes: a frame including first and second side members extending in a front-rear direction of a vehicle body; first and second sub-frames respectively disposed on the first and second side members; and cross members provided between the first and second sub-frames and extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle body. The drive battery is disposed between a first side-frame structural body including the first side member and the first sub-frame, and a second side-frame structural body including the second side member and the second sub-frame.