Battery pack enclosure having inner and outer walls
A traction battery pack assembly includes an enclosure assembly that houses a plurality of battery cells. The enclosure assembly has an inner wall and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall. A method of enclosing battery cells within a battery pack includes communicating vent byproducts to an open area between an inner wall of a battery pack enclosure and an outer wall of the battery pack enclosure.
1 . A traction battery pack assembly, comprising:
an enclosure assembly that houses a plurality of battery cells, the enclosure assembly having an inner wall and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall; and
a plurality of perforated struts spanning between the inner wall and the outer wall.
2 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of struts extend non-perpendicularly from the inner wall and the outer wall.
3 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of struts are provided by a corrugated sheet of material.
4 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 3 , wherein the corrugated sheet of material is perforated.
5 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 3 , wherein the corrugated sheet of material is secured directly to the inner wall and the outer wall.
6 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 3 , wherein the corrugated sheet of material is welded to the inner wall and the outer wall.
7 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of cell stacks held within the enclosure assembly.
8 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure assembly includes an enclosure cover secured to an enclosure tray, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall are portions of the enclosure tray.
9 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an inner vent provided within the inner wall, the inner vent configured to communicate vent byproducts from at least one battery cell within the plurality of battery cells to a venting passageway between the inner wall and the outer wall.
10 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 9 , further comprising an outer vent provided in the outer wall, the venting passageway configured to communicate the vent byproducts from the inner vent to the outer vent.
11 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 10 , wherein the inner vent and the outer vent are on opposite sides of the enclosure assembly.
12 . A method of enclosing battery cells within a battery pack, comprising:
communicating vent byproducts to an open area between an inner wall of a battery pack enclosure and an outer wall of the battery pack enclosure;
spanning across the open area from the inner wall to the outer wall with a plurality of struts; and
communicating the vent byproducts through a plurality of perforations in the plurality of struts.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the vent byproducts are released from at least one battery cell housed within the battery pack enclosure.
14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving the vent byproducts within the open area from an inner vent within the inner wall, and expelling the vent byproducts from the open area through an outer vent within the outer wall.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the inner vent and the outer vent are on opposite sides of the battery pack enclosure.
16 . A traction battery pack assembly, comprising:
an enclosure assembly that houses a plurality of battery cells, the enclosure assembly having an inner wall and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall; and
a corrugated sheet of material spanning between the inner wall and the outer wall, the corrugated sheet of material having a plurality of corrugations, apexes of the corrugations contacting the inner wall and apexes of the corrugations contacting the outer wall.
17 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 16 , wherein the corrugated sheet of material is perforated.
18 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 17 , further comprising an inner vent provided in the inner wall and an outer vent provided in the outer wall, wherein vent byproducts pass through perforations in the corrugated sheet of material when the vent byproducts are communicated from the inner vent to the outer vent.
19 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 16 , wherein the corrugations extend non-perpendicularly between the inner wall and the outer wall.
20 . The traction battery pack assembly of claim 16 , wherein the apexes of the corrugations are welded to at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall.