Method for operating a RESS
heating system (12) in a vehicle (10) comprising a
coolant circuit (16) for passing a
coolant through a rechargeable
energy storage system (RESS) (44) and a
refrigerant circuit (14) designed to selectively cool the
coolant flowing through a radiator (38) in the coolant circuit (16), the method comprising the following steps: (a) Determining a current target temperature range for the RESS (44) based on at least one current vehicle operating mode and a current ambient temperature, wherein the target temperature range is variable based on the current vehicle operating mode and the current ambient temperature; (b) Determining a temperature of the RESS (44); (c) Determine whether the temperature of the RESS (44) needs to increase or decrease to remain within the current target temperature range; (d) if it is determined that the temperature of the RESS (44) needs to increase, determine whether to use active heating or
passive heating of the coolant, with active heating using a greater amount of energy over a shorter period than
passive heating; (e) Activating the active heating or
passive heating of the coolant determined by step (d); (f) if it is determined that the temperature of the RESS (44) needs to decrease, determine whether to use active or
passive cooling of the coolant, with
active cooling using a greater amount of energy over a shorter period than
passive cooling; and (g) Activating the
active cooling or
passive cooling of the coolant determined by step (f), characterized by the fact that then, when passive cooling is activated in step (g), the rate of change of the
coolant temperature over time is monitored and compared with a desired passive
cooling capacity, and the switch from passive cooling to
active cooling occurs when the rate of change of the
coolant temperature is below a predetermined threshold and the desired passive
cooling capacity is not achieved, and then, when passive heating is activated in step (e), the rate of change of the
coolant temperature over time is monitored and compared with a desired passive heating output, and the switch from passive heating to active heating occurs when the rate of change of the coolant temperature is below the predetermined threshold and the desired passive heating output is not reached.