Abstract: An exemplary traction battery assembly includes, among other things, a container disposed about a portion of a fastened joint within an interior of a traction battery enclosure. The container is configured to hold contaminants to block the contaminants from contacting a surface of a component housed within the interior. An exemplary contaminant containing method includes, among other things, within an interior area of a traction battery enclosure, holding contaminants within a container to block the contaminants from contacting a surface of a component housed within the interior. The container is disposed about a fastened joint within the interior area.

Abstract: A power system is disclosed. The system may include an electrical contactor including a pair of plates arranged to scissor between open and closed positions. The plates may have magnets embedded therein such that in the closed position, a subset of the magnets having opposite polarity are aligned to encourage touching of electrical contacts of the plates, and in the open position, a subset of the magnets having same polarity are aligned to encourage separation of the electrical contacts.

Abstract: An exemplary battery assembly includes an enclosure having a first portion interfacing with a separate, second portion along an interface. A seal is at the interface, and a shear cord is configured to rupture the seal when moved from a first position to a second position. An exemplary battery accessing method includes moving a shear cord from a first to a second position to rupture a seal. The seal is at an interface between a first and a second portion of an enclosure.

Abstract: A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, compressing at least one battery module to a desired dimension prior to installing the battery module into an array. Another method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, inducing a residual stress into a battery module to compress the battery module to a desired dimension prior to being installed in an array. An apparatus, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a compression device configured to temporarily compress at least one battery module to a desired dimension prior to installing the battery module into an array.

Abstract: An exemplary busbar assembly includes a first strip including a first material, and a second strip including a second material different than the first material. The first strip extends continuously from a first connector portion to a second connector portion. The first connector portion electrically connects the first strip to a first structure. The second connector portion electrically connects the first strip to a second structure. The first and second strips are both configured to communicate electric current. An exemplary current communication method includes communicating electrical current using both a first strip and a second strip of a busbar. The first strip is made of a first material and bonded to the second strip made of a second material. The first strip extends continuously from a first to a second connector portion. The first connector portion electrically connects to a first structure, and the second connector portion electrically connects to a second structure.