Patent ID: 8465350

Claim:
A method for controlling the ventilation of a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a ventilation system having an HVAC system in fluid communication with a fluid reserve, wherein the fluid reserve is disposed between the HVAC system and the RESS and is in fluid communication with the HVAC system and a ventilator located at one end of the RESS, and the ventilator of the RESS is in fluid communication with a battery system having an outlet at an opposing end of the RESS; (b) determining a maximum noise output level of at least one vehicle component; (c) determining a ventilation requirement of the RESS; (d) controlling a flow rate of a fluid through a fluid transfer device disposed within the ventilator of the RESS for conveying the fluid from the reserve to the RESS as a function of the maximum noise output level and the ventilation requirement of the RESS; (e) determining a flow rate of the HVAC system and the flow rate of the fluid through the fluid transfer device; (f) restricting the flow rate of the fluid through the fluid transfer device such that it is less than or equal flow to the flow rate of the HVAC system; and (g) exhausting the fluid from the battery system when the fluid flows from the fluid reserve to the RESS.