Underfloor Unit with Integrated Cooling Duct for Battery Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current motor vehicle underfloor designs do not adequately support and protect traction batteries, particularly in terms of load dissipation, crash protection, and cooling, which limits the service life of these batteries.
Innovation Solution
An underfloor unit with a solid base body featuring an upward support plate for battery cell units and a downward armor plate, incorporating a cooling duct between them to dissipate loads, protect against impacts, and actively or passively cool the batteries, while being designed to reinforce the motor vehicle body and support structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a solid base body is used to support and protect the battery, then the protection and load dissipation improve, but the heat dissipation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The base body is segmented into an upper base portion and a lower base portion with a cooling duct positioned between them. This segmentation allows the solid structure to provide protection while the internal cooling duct enables heat dissipation, resolving the contradiction between structural strength and thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling duct is nested within the base body structure, with the upper and lower base portions forming a housing that contains the cooling channel. This nested design allows the cooling function to be integrated within the protective structure without compromising either function.
2Temperature
If cooling ducts are added to the base body, then the cooling capability improves, but the structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The base body is divided into upper and lower portions that can be separately manufactured and then joined together. This segmentation allows the cooling duct to be formed as an integrated feature of each portion without compromising the overall structural strength, as each portion maintains its structural integrity independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The base body portions are formed from thermoplastic material that can be molded to include integrated cooling duct features. The composite structure of the molded plastic components with embedded cooling channels provides both structural strength and cooling capability simultaneously.
3Strength
If the base body is designed as a single solid piece, then the protection against impacts improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base body is segmented into an upper base portion and a lower base portion that can be manufactured separately using injection molding or similar processes, then joined together. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing by allowing each portion to be produced independently with integrated cooling duct features, while the assembly provides complete impact protection when combined.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling ducts are formed as nested features within each base portion during the molding process, eliminating the need for separate cooling channel fabrication and assembly steps. This nested design reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining impact protection capability.
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 underfloor unit effectively supports, protects, and cools traction battery cell units, enhancing their service life by dissipating loads, preventing damage from impacts, and managing heat, thus reinforcing the motor vehicle body and extending battery longevity.
Implementation Method 1
A cooling duct is formed between the support plate and the armor plate for cooling the battery cell units
Implementation Method 2
A cooling duct is formed between the support plate and the armor plate for cooling the battery cell units
Implementation Method 3
a base body (12) that can be connected to the motor vehicle body for dissipating static and/or dynamic loads of the motor vehicle body
Data Source
AI summary
An underfloor unit for reinforcing a motor vehicle body has a base body (12) connected to the motor vehicle body and intended to dissipate static and/or dynamic loads of the motor vehicle body. The base body (12) has an upwardly directed support plate (14) for supporting battery cell units of a traction battery for and a downwardly directed separate armor plate (16) for protecting the battery cell units against sudden effects of force from below. A cooling duct (18) for cooling the battery cell units is formed between the support plate (14) and the armor plate (16). The underfloor unit (10) can support the battery cells of the traction battery as a support plate (14), protect them as armor and cool them with the aid of the cooling duct (18) as a heat exchanger.