Patent attributes
A HVAC and RESS thermal management system and a method of operation for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, a power plant and a battery pack is disclosed. The system comprises a RESS coolant circuit and a power plant coolant circuit. The RESS coolant circuit directs a coolant through the battery pack and includes a pump, a coolant heating branch has a coolant-to-coolant heat exchanger, and a coolant routing valve that will selectively direct the coolant through the coolant heating branch. The power plant coolant circuit includes a heater core branch having a HVAC pump, a coolant heater, a heater core located in a HVAC module to provide heat to the passenger compartment, and the coolant-to-coolant heat exchanger, with the coolant-to-coolant heat exchanger providing heat transfer between the coolant in the coolant heating branch and the coolant in the heater core branch.