Self-supporting Vehicle Underframe with Monocoque Troughs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle underframes face challenges in reducing mass, increasing stiffness and absorbable forces, while improving environmental impact, simplifying production, and conserving resources.
Innovation Solution
A self-supporting underframe design featuring two parallel, spaced monocoques with integral trough-like elements and a common strut cover element, connected using binding agents, which also includes central cross-bracings for added stability and reduced material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional underframe designs are used, then structural strength is maintained, but mass is increased and stiffness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The underframe employs fiber composite materials (such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers) to construct the monocoque structure, replacing traditional metal materials. This composite material approach provides equivalent or superior structural strength while significantly reducing the overall mass of the underframe assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The underframe is divided into multiple monocoque sections that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation allows for optimized local structural design in each section, ensuring strength requirements are met while minimizing material usage and overall weight
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional underframe designs are used, then structural stability is maintained, but stiffness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The monocoque structure utilizes three-dimensional curved surfaces and shell geometry to achieve structural stability. The distributed reinforcement elements are arranged in specific three-dimensional patterns within the composite material layers, providing stiffness in multiple directions simultaneously while maintaining overall stability
3Reliability
If complex underframe designs are used, then performance requirements are met, but production complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Reinforcement elements are pre-positioned within the mold during the composite material manufacturing process rather than being installed separately afterward. This preliminary action integrates multiple manufacturing steps into one, reducing production complexity while ensuring precise placement for optimal performance
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional components are merged into integrated monocoque sections. The reinforcement elements, structural members, and mounting points are combined into unified composite structures, reducing the number of separate parts and assembly operations required
4Strength
If extensive material usage is used, then structural requirements are met, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement elements and material distribution are optimized locally based on the specific structural requirements of each underframe section. Material density and reinforcement concentration are varied according to stress analysis, providing necessary strength where required while minimizing material usage in lower-stress areas
Data Source
AI summary
A self-supporting underframe for a vehicle, the vehicle, and a production method thereof. The underframe has two elongate monocoques arranged parallel and spaced apart from each other and at least 50% closed on at least four sides, wherein the monocoques each have a single-part, trough-like element having at least one lower base and two side walls extending upwards from the base. At least one cover element closes the trough-like elements over at least 50% of the longitudinal extent of the particular trough-like element. The at least one cover element of each of the two monocoques in each case includes at least one cross-strut cover element, and the cross-strut cover elements of the two monocoques are designed as a common, single-part cross-strut cover element spanning an intermediate space located between the trough-like elements of the monocoques. The cover elements are fixedly connected to the side walls of the monocoques.