Battery casing for armored vehicles

A battery storage system for holding and protecting the storage batteries used in an armored combat vehicle within an engine compartment of the vehicle including:

• a battery case having a top, bottom, sides and ends which form an enclosure which holds the batteries in a spaced configuration within the case, the sides and top of the case being covered with an insulating layer that restricts thermal transfer from the surrounding engine components and armor material;
• a supporting grid disposed between the batteries and the case bottom to permit the circulation of air under and around the batteries;
• a thermally controlled valve member located near a first end of the case;
• an inlet for ambient air located on the surface of the vehicle;
• a conduit connecting a second end of the battery case distal the valve member with the inlet;
• a solids entrapping means located between the battery box and the inlet adapted to separate solids from the flowing air prior to entry of the cooling air into the case;
• whereby, when the battery case temperature exceeds a predetermined value, the valve opens, allowing ambient air to flow through the conduit and around the batteries, the cooling air first passing through the solids entraining means to minimize the solids which enter the battery enclosure.