Standalone Coolant Heater

[GJTBOW]

Has anyone here thought of or know of or if it’s even possible to have a standalone coolant heater to keep batteries warm during outdoor winter charging? —something along the lines of a traditional block heater plugged into a separate outlet.

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[Maquis]

When I was an engineer, I always told the marketing guys “anything is possible given enough time and money.”

 

[tbrumleve]

The car will heat the battery as needed while plugged in. No need for anything external.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/mach-lees-cold-weather-charging-strategies.24548/

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

When I was a kid, it was my job to take the fireplace coals out at about 02:00 and place them under the truck, replacing the cold ones put out earlier in the night. This was done so my father’s engine block wouldn’t freeze and he could go to work at 04:00.

I don’t really recommend you try that. But there are lots of possibilities in between leaving it plugged into an L2 and putting hot coals under the battery.

 

[HuntingPudel]

When I was an engineer, I always told the marketing guys “anything is possible given enough time and money.”

I always just told them "Everything is cubic money. How fast will your wallet go?"

 

[E90alex]

The car already will heat the battery if needed. What makes you think you need an external heater?

 

[GJTBOW]

When I was a kid, it was my job to take the fireplace coals out at about 02:00 and place them under the truck, replacing the cold ones put out earlier in the night. This was done so my father’s engine block wouldn’t freeze and he could go to work at 04:00.

I don’t really recommend you try that. But there are lots of possibilities in between leaving it plugged into an L2 and putting hot coals under the battery.

lol I have thought this

 

[GJTBOW]

The car already will heat the battery if needed. What makes you think you need an external heater?

I lose about 150 kilometers of range in the winter sometimes more. I notice a large loss on windy days. I wonder how well the oem system works and thought it may benefit with more heat.

 

[Saberdentures]

I’ve heard hearsay that a salesman was trying to sell a diesel heater that his company could install that would tie into the coolant lines to negate most of the range loss from the cold.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I lose about 150 kilometers of range in the winter sometimes more. I notice a large lose on windy days. I wonder how well the oem system works and thought it may benefit with more heat.

The battery isn't well-insulated from the ambient thermal environment. Even if you garaged the vehicle, in the extreme cold the battery would quickly cool down while driving.

Some people have tried insulating the coolant piping, but have had minimal success.

I believe it's the battery's very large surface area at the bottom of the car that's the culprit. If you had the skills and ability to develop a safe, removable thermal barrier for the underbody, you could probably make a tidy profit selling it to others in your situation.

 

[GJTBOW]

That could be an option if there isn’t access to a 110 outlet such as a public charger or maybe as a form of trickle charger that works to keep batteries warm when parked outdoors for a long period of time, such as at work.

 

[GJTBOW]

The battery isn't well-insulated from the ambient thermal environment. Even if you garaged the vehicle, in the extreme cold the battery would quickly cool down while driving.

Some people have tried insulating the coolant piping, but have had minimal success.

I believe it's the battery's very large surface area at the bottom of the car that's the culprit. If you had the skills and ability to develop a safe, removable thermal barrier for the underbody, you could probably make a tidy profit selling it to others in your situation.

That could be the answer —kind of like a heating blanket.

 

[RickMachE]

The biggest loss due to wind is due to resistance, not battery cooling.

The Mach-E battery does cool more than the Lightning’s. After we fast charge, both vehicles' batteries are say 95 degrees. As we drive, the Mach-Es battery drops, leveling off around 45 (from memory). The Lightning’s battery, bigger and with a bigger heater, stays significantly warmer.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

That could be the answer —kind of like a heating blanket.

For the best results, you would want it to stay on the vehicle as you drive. And you want to be able to remove it when it's not cold out. The 100+ kph "winds" from driving are cooling the battery at a higher rate than when it's just sitting. Your battery is trying to keep itself warm while it propels the car. There's a lot of energy wasted in doing that.

Another, less effective, possibility is to try strapping an insulating radiant barrier/blanket under the car when parked. This might help the battery retain heat for a few hours. A roll of mylar bubble wrap or foam core strapped up against the battery might help a little. I wouldn't keep this on while driving, though.

 

[GJTBOW]

I’m not too concerned when driving, my thoughts are geared more to getting a deeper charge as I do in the summer months. My thinking is if the batteries could be heated independently while charging perhaps less energy would be wasted in heat putting more energy into the battery charge. I could be overthinking this and maybe it’s not worth the effort. —as for losing heat while driving maybe covering up the radiator partially or even fully may help. I’m new to the forum so maybe this has been suggested. This site seems to be a busy place with loads of info.

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