Thermal Management System and Charger

[philmmaker]

I have read various articles about charging and my understanding is that we should not let the battery dip below 30% and not charge it over 90%. Preferably the car should be parked in the shade to reduce the need for the thermal management system to kick on, as it will run down the battery. I live in Woodland Hills and it gets very hot in the summer and there is very little shade for me to park in. It seems that the solution for me is to keep my car plugged in thus the thermal management system will run off the charger and not the battery. My question then is, if my car is plugged in but the battery is sufficiently charged (~90%) and I tell the Ford App to stop charging but leave the car plugged in, will the thermal management system run off of the plug or the battery ?

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[SnBGC]

If the vehicle is plugged in to a powered EVSE then it will always use that power source before drawing from the HVB.

My understanding is the vehicle will not condition the battery when parked off plug unless you remote start manually or allow remote start for departure times.

If departure is set and the car is plugged into a powered EVSE then it will use the EVSE power to condition the cabin and battery. It may also draw from the HVB if the EVSE isn't able to satisfy the power demand of the vehicle in that situation.

 

[philmmaker]

I was told that the thermal management system has to cool the HVB whenever the battery goes above 113 F to prevent damage to the HVB. If the HVB reaches that temperature when not connected to an EVSE it will pull from the battery and could unknowingly deplete the charge below optimal levels thereby damaging the HVB.

What I’m not clear about is, when I tell the Ford App to stop charging at 90% does that just disengage the onboard charging unit while still using the EVSE as power for the HVB’s thermal management system?

 

[SnBGC]

I was told that the thermal management system has to cool the HVB whenever the battery goes above 113 F to prevent damage to the HVB. If the HVB reaches that temperature when not connected to an EVSE it will pull from the battery and could unknowingly deplete the charge below optimal levels thereby damaging the HVB.

What I’m not clear about is, when I tell the Ford App to stop charging at 90% does that just disengage the onboard charging unit while still using the EVSE as power for the HVB’s thermal management system?

I am unable to find anything in the WSM that verifies what you have been told. As best as I can tell, the upper limit of the HVB is 131F, so presumably the vehicle will go into reduced power mode if the internal temp exceeds that limit.

There is a warning in the WSM instructing body shops NOT to put this car into a heated paint spray booth because those can get to 140F. The instructions are to reduce or disable the heating system to a safe level when painting the vehicle.

We do know there is HVB temp limit that will trigger the cooling system when the vehicle is parked on plug. I don't know what that setting is yet. It will be published in the patent filing when that eventually becomes public. My guess is HVB temps in the 100 degree range will trigger the message to please plug in when parked.

The larger battery pack is less sensitive to ambient temps compared to a smaller pack. Larger mass is a benefit in this case (provided the vehicle is used on a regular basis).

In regards to your other question. Charging and thermal conditioning are two separate functions and can occur separately or at the same time. When charging stops and the vehicle remains on a powered EVSE then it will still be able to condition the battery when needed.

I have not confirmed the vehicle will condition the battery when off plug.

With the exception of when charging......I have yet to observe the vehicle conditioning the battery in either state (on or off plug). I've been watching but so far it hasn't had to condition the battery when parked. Highest temps I've seen so far are 110F (ambient) I think....

 

[philmmaker]

Wow you’ve already hit 110 F, we’ve only been in the high 80’s on & off but I know we’ll be hitting the teens here soon and there is no where to park in the shade when I’m home on weekends. I can plug it in but I figure it will reach a full charge before the heat of the day dies down even if I only plug it in from 10a-5p. I talked with someone at Ford yesterday and she didn’t know, but she did say someone would get back to me within 3 business days so I’ll let you know if they have an answer.

 

[gpgrim]

Sorry if this is a noob question, but what about the flip side? In my cursory reads, I've not seen comments on whether there is a heat pump in the thermal management system to improve performance in cold weather. Not clear how I'd get skis on this beast yet, but heading to the Sierras mid-winter seems like it should be in this pony's bag of tricks, and with night time temps in the teens and 20s, a heat pump would be nice to have available.

 

[shutterbug]

Wow you’ve already hit 110 F

We haven't hit 110 yet, but if it's 100 and you are parked in the sun all day, the car will reach and exceed 110 easily. Hopefully under a canopy and not one of those paint destroying desert trees.

 

[generaltso]

Sorry if this is a noob question, but what about the flip side? In my cursory reads, I've not seen comments on whether there is a heat pump in the thermal management system to improve performance in cold weather. Not clear how I'd get skis on this beast yet, but heading to the Sierras mid-winter seems like it should be in this pony's bag of tricks, and with night time temps in the teens and 20s, a heat pump would be nice to have available.

The MME does not have a heat pump. It has a resistive element heater.

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