Passive ventilation device and method

An apparatus for venting hydrogen gas from a battery chamber comprising:

• an enclosure having a top wall, a bottom wall and sidewalls defining an inner chamber for housing a battery therein;
• a thermally insulating, gas permeable panel disposed adjacent one of the sidewalls of the enclosure and having a first surface facing into the inner chamber and a second surface opposite the first surface, the second surface defining a ventilation space between the panel and said one of the sidewalls;
• means for creating an air flow through the ventilation space for drawing hydrogen gas within the inner chamber through the gas permeable panel into the ventilation space;
• and
• an exhaust opening in one of the sidewalls in communication with the ventilation space for discharging the low density gas from the ventilation space.

A method for passively venting a low density gas from a chamber comprising:

• providing an enclosure having outer walls and an inner chamber for housing a battery;
• creating an air flow through a ventilation space between one of the outer walls of the enclosure and a gas permeable panel disposed between said one of the outer walls and the inner chamber;
• diffusing the low density gas through the gas permeable panel into the ventilation space;
• and
• discharging the low density gas through an exhaust opening in one of the outer walls of the enclosure.