Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Hua He

Michael J Gorman

Timothy J Roggenkamp

Alan V Parrett

Joseph F Mercurio

Kyle W Stanforth

A porous, sound absorbing structural foam load floor support is provided that defines an integral duct. The duct is configured as a ventilation air passage from the air outlet of a heat-emitting component, such as an energy storage system in a hybrid vehicle, so that the load floor support serves both to support the load floor as well as to provide a route for heat dissipation. By integrating the duct within the load floor support, a separate duct, which would have to route around other vehicle components located under the load floor, is not required. The structural foam load floor support is configured to absorb noise of a cooling system for the energy storage system. A porous expanded polypropylene foam is especially well-suited for noise attenuation and load floor support.

Vehicle load floor support with integral air duct

An acoustically improved cooling system is provided for an energy storage system including a battery with air from a carpeted vehicle compartment, the cooling system including: a carpet portion sufficiently spaced from a floor panel of a vehicle to define a cavity forming an air passage through which air may flow and including an air inlet opening integrally formed therein through which the air from the compartment may be drawn; a fan for circulating air from the cavity into heat exchange relationship with the battery for cooling the battery; and a vent opening connecting the cavity and the fan in air flow communication. The frame is curved above the vent opening, to force noise reflection off the curved portion of the frame. A sound absorption layer is installed underneath the curved portion of the frame for noise attenuation.

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North Potomac, MD, United States of America

Hua He