Parametric Analysis of a Divided Rocker for Battery Electric Vehicles

Abstract

The driving range of an electric vehicle can be increased through an efficient integration of the large battery within the vehicle structure. In this regard, a divided rocker concept from an existing study is investigated, in which the vehicle rocker is divided into two parts by means of a division plane. One part of the rocker remains vehicle sided and enables the attachment of the surrounding vehicle structures, while the other part is functionally integrated into the side frame of the battery housing. In the scope of this paper, several division plane concepts for such a divided rocker are created and analyzed. The crash performance of the modelled division plane concepts is studied on a component level using the side pole crash test as a load case. For the different division planes, a parametric analysis is performed by varying the number of chambers in the rocker profile, the chamber width, mass distribution, individual section thicknesses, the height of the division planes, and the air gap between the vertical surfaces of the division planes. Several crash performance criteria, such as structural deformation, force, and energy absorption, are examined. Among the studied parameters, the number of chambers and mass distribution have notable influences, while individual section thicknesses and the height of the division planes do not have a significant influence on the crash performance. Lastly, stiffer chambers in the battery-sided rocker created by decreasing the chamber width have the strongest effect on crash performance.