Vehicle Underbody Battery Housing With Non-Load-Bearing Crash Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy storage underbodies for motor cars are complex, expensive, and heavy, requiring them to be load-bearing and contributing to increased costs and weight, while also being prone to damage during side impacts due to their frame-like construction.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an energy absorption device within the side rocker panels and using non-load-bearing housings for the energy storage device, which are supported by additional crossmembers on the vehicle floor, allowing for optimized load paths and reduced involvement in crash functions, thus enabling a weight-saving and cost-effective design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the energy storage device is designed with a frame-like construction to perform crash functions and provide stiffening, then the accident behavior and structural stability are improved, but the device complexity, weight, and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the crash management function into two separate components: the side rocker panel energy absorption device handles crash functions, while the energy storage device housing provides only containment. This segmentation allows the energy storage device to be simplified to a non-load-bearing structure, reducing complexity while maintaining overall safety performance.
2Strength
If the energy storage device housing is designed to be load-bearing and stiffen the underbody, then the structural stability and crash performance are improved, but the weight and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the load-bearing and stiffening functions from the energy storage device housing and relocates them to the side rocker panel energy absorption device. This allows the housing to be designed as a simple, lightweight containment structure without frame elements or profiles, significantly reducing weight while the separate energy absorption device provides the necessary structural support during crashes.
3Force
If the energy storage device is tailored to fit between side rocker panels with form-fitting connections, then the force transmission and crash function performance are improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the energy storage device from the load-bearing structure, eliminating the need for form-fitting connections and precise force transmission paths. The housing simply contains the battery cells without requiring complex attachment mechanisms, significantly reducing manufacturing precision requirements.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the energy storage device housing includes frame elements and profiles for stiffening, then the underbody stiffness and crash resistance are improved, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the stiffening function from the energy storage device housing and assigns it to the side rocker panel energy absorption device. The housing becomes a simple containment structure without frame elements or profiles, making it much easier to manufacture while the separate energy absorption device provides the necessary underbody stiffness.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy storage underbody for a motor car body-in-white has a vehicle floor laterally delimited by side sills and reinforced by side members and/or cross members. An energy storage device is disposed on the underside of the vehicle floor. In order to obtain an energy storage device of particularly simple construction and a particularly economical, stiffened underbody, the energy storage underbody has at least one housing of the energy storage device, the housing being non-load bearing in terms of the body-in-white, and has at least one additional side member or cross member disposed on the topside of the vehicle floor to reinforce the underbody.