Using Hybrid System to recharge Emergency battery

[SleeprTruck]

Someone posted about using their truckbed receptacle as emergency home power, & I wanted to give a safer & more effective alternative for the hybrid
models.
A safe electrical solution means:
1) safe from hurting people who connect to it
2) safe from an appliance hurting other equipment like you vehicle electrical system.

#2 mainly is why I'd choose not to use the tiny 400 watt bed receptacle if I have a choice. Besides barely powering a coffeemaker, its going through the vehicle fuse-box, and it's needlessly discharging your cars 12 volt battery which the traction battery recharges.

Instead, invest in a 100-120vac portable battery power-station that can be recharged from a 120volt home receptacle,
or from a solar panel using the industry standard outdoor use Anderson connector, that is what we will use to recharge our portable power station safely.

Mine shown is a 100-120VAC 3600W continuous power inverter that can run a fridge about 19 hours, but you can find solar-panel chargeable power stations from $300-$5000

In the picture I'm showing 2 options for 13voltDC recharging the power station using your hybrid battery,

The easiest option is just use the 12volt car cigarette lighter, but this is still discharging your cars 12volt battery & pulling current through car wiring & fuse box.

But the 2nd option isolates your charging from the vehicle 12v system, with a cable using the Solar Panel MC4 connectors.

These are robust gasket-sealed high current connectors that cannot be plugged in the wrong way, & affordable thanks to widespread use of outdoor rooftop solar panels which are expected to survive 20 years in the sun.

Order some MC4 male & female pigtail connectors to clamp to the + & - of the 12 volt battery terminals, then connect one of these anti-backflow diode MC4 connectors to each with diodes the correct polarity to prevent your power station sending voltage to your car battery if you accidentally do something stupid like plug the Anderson connector side into a Power OUT port instead of a Power IN port.

https://www.amazon.com/Connector-Fe...cphy=1017856&hvtargid=pla-2281435177658&psc=1

Now your Power Station's included solar-panel charging cable can plug right into the MC4 inline diode connectors, & if you leave your hybrid on, the traction battery will recharge your portable power station at the safe voltage of 12-15VDC, as long as your power station charging circuitry accepts a charge.

This is just a concept for using the hybrid as backup power, while isolating faulty home appliances from the vehicle hybrid system.

You could probably add some inline fuses for extra safety, probably google "MC4 Solar Panel inline fuse connector" then stick the 8-10A fuse connectors onto the diode connectors.

I haven't fully worked through using the hybrid battery-generator as an emergency power solution, but I think this is the way to go: an external power station, recharged through the traction-batterys 12volt charging-circuit for the 12volt battery under the back seat.

The hybrid motor-generator could technically power a small office building, but running a splitter-bus cable from the traction battery 280VDC DC-link to an external 240VAC 2-phase inverter panel as a home backup system would definitely void any warranty & require intimate knowledge of the traction battery-management logic. And definitely shouldn't be anyones first electrical project!

But that system would be wild you could basically have a mobile residential power solution for off grid, that also works as a vehicle

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[ZABSMAV]

Someone posted about using their truckbed receptacle as emergency home power, & I wanted to give a safer & more effective alternative for the hybrid
models.
A safe electrical solution means:
1) safe from hurting people who connect to it
2) safe from an appliance hurting other equipment like you vehicle electrical system.

#2 mainly is why I'd choose not to use the tiny 400 watt bed receptacle if I have a choice. Besides barely powering a coffeemaker, its going through the vehicle fuse-box, and it's needlessly discharging your cars 12 volt battery which the traction battery recharges.

Instead, invest in a 100-120vac portable battery power-station that can be recharged from a 120volt home receptacle,
or from a solar panel using the industry standard outdoor use Anderson connector, that is what we will use to recharge our portable power station safely.

Mine shown is a 100-120VAC 3600W continuous power inverter that can run a fridge about 19 hours, but you can find solar-panel chargeable power stations from $300-$5000

In the picture I'm showing 2 options for 13voltDC recharging the power station using your hybrid battery,

The easiest option is just use the 12volt car cigarette lighter, but this is still discharging your cars 12volt battery & pulling current through car wiring & fuse box.

But the 2nd option isolates your charging from the vehicle 12v system, with a cable using the Solar Panel MC4 connectors.

These are robust gasket-sealed high current connectors that cannot be plugged in the wrong way, & affordable thanks to widespread use of outdoor rooftop solar panels which are expected to survive 20 years in the sun.

Order some MC4 male & female pigtail connectors to clamp to the + & - of the 12 volt battery terminals, then connect one of these anti-backflow diode MC4 connectors to each with diodes the correct polarity to prevent your power station sending voltage to your car battery if you accidentally do something stupid like plug the Anderson connector side into a Power OUT port instead of a Power IN port.

https://www.amazon.com/Connector-Fe...cphy=1017856&hvtargid=pla-2281435177658&psc=1

Now your Power Station's included solar-panel charging cable can plug right into the MC4 inline diode connectors, & if you leave your hybrid on, the traction battery will recharge your portable power station at the safe voltage of 12-15VDC, as long as your power station charging circuitry accepts a charge.

This is just a concept for using the hybrid as backup power, while isolating faulty home appliances from the vehicle hybrid system.

You could probably add some inline fuses for extra safety, probably google "MC4 Solar Panel inline fuse connector" then stick the 8-10A fuse connectors onto the diode connectors.

I haven't fully worked through using the hybrid battery-generator as an emergency power solution, but I think this is the way to go: an external power station, recharged through the traction-batterys 12volt charging-circuit for the 12volt battery under the back seat.

The hybrid motor-generator could technically power a small office building, but running a splitter-bus cable from the traction battery 280VDC DC-link to an external 240VAC 2-phase inverter panel as a home backup system would definitely void any warranty & require intimate knowledge of the traction battery-management logic. And definitely shouldn't be anyones first electrical project!

But that system would be wild you could basically have a mobile residential power solution for off grid, that also works as a vehicle

You do realize just hopw small the hybrid's battery is that is constantly discharged and regeneratively recharged? If you were sitting in the driveway the gas engine would be running constantly to keep the hybrid's HV battery charged, just so you could have AC power to your home. A more logical approach is a natural gas powered Generac Generator.

 

[SleeprTruck]

You need more than a Generac Natural Gas generator to handle inrush current & power conditioning of HVAC & furnace blowers, that's a $15,000+ option with a foundation that cannot be moved & takes up a garage space when not in use, needs ventilation, etc.

This is a cheap way to keep your fridge & TV running reliably through a weeks long blackout. No stove, dryer or cooling HVAC unit

Yes your Maverick engine will be running charging the traction battery but not nearly as much as you think because it will be relatively slow-discharging only at 12-15vdc to your portable power station like mine I paid $2000 for, generates a pure sine wave power, & can take anywhere.

You typically are not pulling peak power all day every day this unit can charge on 12-15vdc significantly faster than basic home use, unless you're leaving the freezer open.

This is a setup you can order the parts shipped to your door, assemble & start using. It's keeping home appliance ground faults isolated from your vehicle electrical system.

Technically in a blackout you could install a male plug on a 10AWG thick extension cord for double-male cable & plug it from Power Station OUT into a receptacle & every other receptacle on the leg would be energized AND use the home grounding bars & just flip the main breaker off to not kill a utility worker, and breakers off for anything you don't want to run, but it would be better to buy & install a proper generator interlock box so your panel is either connected to municipal or to your generator & locked out of the other one.

I'm talking about just a DIY emergency solution thats better than using the onboard 400watt truck bed inverter, & that doesn't cost $15,000

Spend $500-1300 on a Portable Power Station comes with a Solar Panel cable with Anderson & MC4 connectors.
2nd thing you have to buy is another MC4 Solar Panel cable to cut & attach the ends to your 12v battery leads, or to the 400 Watt 12-15v inverter power IN terminals if you have it, my XL doesn't have the bed power
3rd buy those MC4 inline diode connectors to stick on your batteryside cable, just for idiot-protection.

If an appliance is faulty, worst it does it will just destroy your Portable Power Station, not your vehicle electrical

 

[paneubert]

A few other similar but slightly cheaper options (all essentially the same, but different users doing it).


Inverter Install:
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/2000-watt-removable-inverter-installation.44646/

Another Inverter:
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/2000w-inverter.29841/


Another inverter:
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/2000-watt-hybrid-inverter-as-generator.54063/

 

[dldjtad]

I have a 5500 W inverter that I connect to my hybrid underneath the hood. It will run most things in the house with no problem. The engine will cycle on and off to charge the battery, but it does not happen excessively.

 

[The Real Maverick]

Or do what I do.
Get a house with a 100 unit shopping mall to the north and a regional hospital to the south.

We almost never loose power.
When we do we are priority #1 to get back online. I think our power has not been off 30 minutes in 10 years.

 

[CaptScott5]

I have a 5500 W inverter that I connect to my hybrid underneath the hood. It will run most things in the house with no problem. The engine will cycle on and off to charge the battery, but it does not happen excessively.

How would you connect to Hybrid Battery power? I am looking to install a small AC to camp. This would be a great way to supply the power....

 

[dldjtad]

I just connect the positive to the positive under the hood. And I connect the negative to a ground screw. That’s all there is to it.

 

[CaptScott5]

I just connect the positive to the positive under the hood. And I connect the negative to a ground screw. That’s all there is to it.

I thought the positive connection under the hood is to the starting battery, not the Hybrid battery.

 

[dldjtad]

Correct. But the way I understand it, is that the hybrid battery charges the starting battery. When I run the inverter off the battery under the hood, the car will start up automatically when that batteries begins to get depleted

 

[CaptScott5]

Correct. But the way I understand it, is that the hybrid battery charges the starting battery. When I run the inverter off the battery under the hood, the car will start up automatically when that batteries begins to get depleted

Okay, I will have to investigate how this whole system works.
Thanks

 

[HeyBales]

Okay, I will have to investigate how this whole system works.
Thanks

12VB closes a relay when you start truck. (like your 24V HVAC control line does for AC or furnace fan getting 120V/240V)
This brings the HVB online.
When the HVB drops to 30% because it's power is used for whatever (AC, 12VB charging, fans, ect), the ICE is brought on to charge the HVB back up to 40%.
Repeat until you run out of fuel.

 

[CaptScott5]

12VB closes a relay when you start truck. (like your 24V HVAC control line does for AC or furnace fan getting 120V/240V)
This brings the HVB online.
When the HVB drops to 30% because it's power is used for whatever (AC, 12VB charging, fans, ect), the ICE is brought on to charge the HVB back up to 40%.
Repeat until you run out of fuel.

Thanks for this information! Will it hurt the system to use it as a generator overnight?

 

[HeyBales]

Thanks for this information! Will it hurt the system to use it as a generator overnight?

Probably not emergency use infrequently.
But like not weekend camping thru a couple seasons.

You aren't getting a warmed up engine in the time it takes.
Unless it's cold enough it keeps it running strictly for temp reasons of the HVB battery or the cabin temp setting.
Otherwise this is like the ultimate short trip scenario you'd get usually not recommended.

 

[CaptScott5]

Good point! Didn't think of that.
Would be better just using a small generator.
Thanks

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