Design and Analysis of Battery Hold-Down

Fossil fuels are an incredibly dense form of energy and clearly, they are finite. Due to excessive usage of these resources, they have become scarce and that makes it a necessity to find other alternatives. The automotive industry is slowly moving towards electric powered vehicles. Textron Specialized Vehicles (TSV) are transitioning from gas powered to electric vehicles that cater to their customer requirements. Because the battery plays a vital role, it is essential to examine the mechanical integration of high voltage battery within these vehicles. The most common method that helps the battery to be held rigidly in its position is by using a battery hold-down. Designing improved versions of the battery hold-down would require understanding the range of possible bolt loads acting on it. Specifications of battery (such as weight and dimensions) can help calculate the torque acting on the hold-down and how the stress is spread across the design. Based on these values, alternate hold-downs can be designed that can effectively take higher torque values. And since the battery hold-down must also be cost efficient, it implements value engineering concepts to ensure that the new design is cheaper and performs its intended functions.