Hybrid power train and air conditioning?

[rivermaverick]

Thanks for the replies, I think I understand the AC compressor drive a bit better.
It has to work harder than a regular AC because it has to cool the HV battery.

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[BuddyS]

i've had mine for nearly a year and 10K miles in SW Florida heat and never once did I ever feel like the AC wasn't doing a great job of keeping the car cool. Don't give it a second thought.

 

[Last Truck Ever]

i've had mine for nearly a year and 10K miles in SW Florida heat and never once did I ever feel like the AC wasn't doing a great job of keeping the car cool. Don't give it a second thought.

I'm in Bama, we've had a week of extreme heat and I STILL end up turning the ac up because it cools TOO well. Best AC I've ever seen in a vehicle, it'll chill you out in no time.

 

[GPSMan]

Thanks for the replies, I think I understand the AC compressor drive a bit better.
It has to work harder than a regular AC because it has to cool the HV battery.

In practice, no not really.
I check for this. Almost never does the battery need cooling.

 

[rivermaverick]

In practice, no not really.
I check for this. Almost never does the battery need cooling.

I think that over 95° the battery is actively cooled, hard to find information on how the AC compressor helps the cooling at higher temps, looks like 'item 19' in the components diagram is the connection to the AC.
What I know is that when our temps are in the 110° to 120° range I have to drive a couple of miles before I get really cool AC, non-hybrid vehicles that I have driven in similar conditions (EcoSport and Mazda 3) are blowing cold within a quarter mile or so, as is the Mav when temps get below 100° (I guess another month or so before that happens ).

 

[GPSMan]

I think that over 95° the battery is actively cooled, hard to find information on how the AC compressor helps the cooling at higher temps, looks like 'item 19' in the components diagram is the connection to the AC.
What I know is that when our temps are in the 110° to 120° range I have to drive a couple of miles before I get really cool AC, non-hybrid vehicles that I have driven in similar conditions (EcoSport and Mazda 3) are blowing cold within a quarter mile or so, as is the Mav when temps get below 100° (I guess another month or so before that happens ).

I've seen the 95°F number published before. However in mine, the A/C does not run for the battery until about 110°F.

I say "about" because one day it happened at 106°F and one day 112°F.
That is, battery temperature, not ambient.

 

[rivermaverick]

I've seen the 95°F number published before. However in mine, the A/C does not run for the battery until about 110°F.

I say "about" because one day it happened at 106°F and one day 112°F.
That is, battery temperature, not ambient.

I think optimal battery temps are 35 to 95°F but manufactures typically test to 50°C (122°F). We usually get close to those temps a few days a year, I've seen prototype F150s doing the 'Davis Dam climb', good test, about a 3500ft climb at 70mph with a fully loaded trailer when the temps near max.
How are you monitoring battery temperatures?

 

[GPSMan]

I have a ScanGauge III semi-permanently attached to the OBDII port. It can read about everything there is to know.

Davis Dam: 11 miles, peak 7% grade, average 5% grade. 3000 foot gain.

I did a Davis Dam Test of my own with my Hybrid.

South Klondike Highway
11.5 miles continuous uphill
3280 feet elevation gain
11% maximum grade
5.4% average grade

With 770 pounds passengers + cargo in truck
3,000 lb. Trailer 7' x 12' x 9' tall

Passed the test. Could do above the speed limit the entire route with probably 25% headroom to spare.

(Photo not of Klondike Highway but I like it. You get the idea.)

 

[Timothyd]

Using A/C on the same afternoon route (20 miles) I've gone from 50-55mpg to 41 mpg. As for the ICE needing to run more that should be self explanatory: there's a finite battery capacity so adding an A/C compressor load on top of the drive motor depletes it faster to the threshold it transitions to ICE. As well as when the ICE is running some of the power that would go to the HVB is going to the A/C.

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