Underbody design and layout for efficient and safe Battery Electric Vehicles

The tendency to have a standard set-up for several model of vehicle of the same brand led to the realization of modular platform, that’s compose of underbody, lower part of Body In White and battery pack, on which it can be installed directly the components of the various models. This procedure led to development of alternative ways to do the different dynamic tests of impact resistance of the platform to verify the resistance of the protective shell of the battery. The aims of the Thesis are the study and develop an analytical methodology to permit to study on electric vehicles platforms several models of cars, characterized by a variable weight of upperbody, the dynamics after a side pole impact and the analysis and comparison with different parameters that it can be modified directly on the model, having with the main aim the maximum dynamics alignment respect to the same test done it on a full vehicle considering the EuroNCAP standards. The first step of the project is based on the comprehension and analysis of the dynamic variables after frontal impact and side pole impact like deformations, velocities, decelerations, and rotations (Yaw and Roll) by means the “Tracker video analysis tool” that uses object tracking to evaluate and compute those physical quantities. Subsequently the purpose is moving through the simplification, on a Honda Accord 2011 ICE vehicle model, of the full model in a simplified model which include only the platform of the vehicle. The alignment of the masses and inertia has done connecting two added masses on the tail of the underbody by means of rigid elements. In a first moment it be evaluated with a set of equilibrium equation and in the second part of the project with an application of an analytical model studied and calibrated thanks to the support of the STELLANTIS engineers.