Solar for Hybrid Battery?

[Ttrbe94]

Im sure many of you are thinking I'm attempting to drive this truck off of solar or something, not exactly. What I am trying to do is make it more efficient by keeping the hybrid battery topped off.

I would mostly use the battery in two way. The first and mainly, is by extending the generator mode. I am currently living out of my truck by choice as I am a remote software dev traveling around living basically on BLM land. I already have a PowerStation and solar panels but it would be much more convent to just always run stuff off of the truck. The second would be to keep it topped off when I first start driving. I've noticed I get much better MPG when the battery is "topped off" (like 63% full via FIXD toolbox, it doesn't like to charge any more than that even with regen breaking) either in full electric or when the ICE and electric motor are working in tandem. Having it topped off at the start would be great for short trips.

I know they have these solar panels for the starter battery but idk If there is a way to hook it up to the hybrid or where I would even begin to look. Theres not much info that I can find about the hybrid system of this truck.

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[DanielG]

I’m not sure but I think it would take some large size or a large number of solar panels to do what you are asking. It depends on what your are trying to run or how you have your truck set up as to what you would need. Maybe they should make the tonneau cover a folding solar panel. That should collect a few watts of power.

 

[tbinmd]

You would need several solar panels to top up the hybrid battery, integration of a charger might be an issue. A solar panel to keep the 12v battery charged is more realistic, used to do that with a sail boat I had.

 

[Ttrbe94]

That's a good point but I have 200 watts already on my truck on top of my GFC. I could probably get 400 more if I wanted, along with another 100 on the hood. I don't think the supply is really the issue though. That battery is only a 1.5 kilowatt and If had all that on there it would charge up to that in less than a day with optimal conditions.

I think the real question is can it be done.

 

[Swags]

Not without quite a bit of modification involving tearing into the truck's high voltage system, unfortunately. Probably not worth the hassle/risks. I so wish the PowerBoost were a PHEV.

BLM land is great, by the way. Take it easy out there, my friend!

 

[towpro]

I assume since its BLM land your in an RV? I would use solar to run the RV 100% and leave the truck alone. spend more money on batteries and additional solar for the living quarters. Ford built a charge algorithm into the system to prolong the life of that hybrid battery. like not going below 40%, not charging above 80%. (I don't know what the real numbers are, but they are not 0% and 100%) the hybrid systems job is to assist running the truck, and the generator is an "extra" they tacked on to cause more sales

 

[Ttrbe94]

Not without quite a bit of modification involving tearing into the truck's high voltage system, unfortunately. Probably not worth the hassle/risks. I so wish the PowerBoost were a PHEV.

BLM land is great, by the way. Take it easy out there, my friend!

I know right! It would be great for my situation if it was a plug in but I understand why they didn't. The battery is way too small to actually power this truck even a few miles. No reason to charge it up.

I will though, thanks!

 

[lacartus]

I wonder if you could get something like this (4500Wh) that can be charged from 120V AC or solar. In some situations it could it be plugged into the ProPower to charge, others, utilize solar. There are many sizes of these from many vendors up to 20kWh. I some Jeep folks who use these with solar panels and also top off using outlets and gas generators so they can run fridges silently overnight at camp sites.

 

[Blueonblue]

The issue you're going to have is the high voltage system. It's a 450 volt DC system. You would need a absolute ton of solar panels to even trickle that high voltage battery. Typical panels are 12v. In order to charge a battery you need to charge with MORE voltage than the battery. Just to get to 450v you need 37 panels and that's at 100% efficiency. You would likely need more like 60 in series, which is not only hard to carry around, but very dangerous.

Tldr: the answer is no. You can't do it efficiently or effectivly. It would be more economical to buy gas and run the ICE to charge the battery.

 

[HammaMan]

The issue you're going to have is the high voltage system. It's a 450 volt DC system. You would need a absolute ton of solar panels to even trickle that high voltage battery. Typical panels are 12v. In order to charge a battery you need to charge with MORE voltage than the battery. Just to get to 450v you need 37 panels and that's at 100% efficiency. You would likely need more like 60 in series, which is not only hard to carry around, but very dangerous.

Tldr: the answer is no. You can't do it efficiently or effectivly. It would be more economical to buy gas and run the ICE to charge the battery.

It's a wee bit less with a 290v peak.

But no, there's really no realistic way to easily access the system. The easiest access would be at the DC to AC inverter by making a T-harness. The cables themselves are insulated in a similar fashion to coax and require special tools to terminate (when cut, the insulation contacting either of the primary wires will trip the BECM). The BECM may or may not have the system powered up when the truck is off, there's several sets of contactors with charge resistors present to energize the capacitors before closing the primary contactors. There's a pair on the Motor / AC inverter (the cable Ys under the cab), and another pair powering the DC/DC and AC compressor (with a pair of pre-charge). They operate independent of the 3 phase and 2 pole inverters.

Now if someone were to tap into the system and had a solar charge controller that can handle up to 500v, they could in theory feed the solar side of an inverter with the HVDC to tap the system for more AC generation or 48v battery bank charging. It'd supply about 46a at 280v when in 1k RPM locked generation mode (what i've been able to register peak, calculated). Do keep in mind that HVDC when it bites you, it does hold on to you unlike AC, causing the muscle to constrict. I've not yet had the time to play with the system itself to see what kind of monitoring the truck has on it -- as in, if you were tapping the HVDC side while in generation mode, I'm not sure if it'd set off a DTC if amps were mysteriously missing by polling individual component usage vs what the 3 phase inverter is generating (and what the BECM is passing). I suspect not however. I've seen the AC compressor and DC/DC eating ~17a peak, when combined with the inverter's ~30a draw that leaves a potential of 13kW capability at 1K idle.

Given the Li-ion's presence and capabilites, be sure to utilize T class fuses able to break at least 300kVa

 

[Snakebitten]

It takes such a tiny sip of the 30 Gallons of petrol onboard to take that battery from 43% to 63%, and in such a small sum of seconds, along with being fairly quiet about the whole thing...... It seems like a lot of co$t and effort to spend all day to get <1/2 mile of EV motion.

But I love the passion.

 

[HammaMan]

It takes such a tiny sip of the 30 Gallons of petrol onboard to take that battery from 43% to 63%, and in such a small sum of seconds, along with being fairly quiet about the whole thing...... It seems like a lot of co$t and effort to spend all day to get <1/2 mile of EV motion.

But I love the passion.

Made a note to see what happens w/ the LFP and how the HVB retains charge w/ key cycle events vs AGM only.

 

[WhiteLightningnshitshadow]

I don't like the idea of using the truck to power everyday stuff off grid just for the increased battery and system wear. I would pick up a cheap portable system off Amazon and just use that with a car battery. I doubt you really use that much power right? I'd imagine it's really just for computer equipment right?

 

[Samson16]

It's a wee bit less with a 290v peak.

But no, there's really no realistic way to easily access the system. The easiest access would be at the DC to AC inverter by making a T-harness. The cables themselves are insulated in a similar fashion to coax and require special tools to terminate (when cut, the insulation contacting either of the primary wires will trip the BECM). The BECM may or may not have the system powered up when the truck is off, there's several sets of contactors with charge resistors present to energize the capacitors before closing the primary contactors. There's a pair on the Motor / AC inverter (the cable Ys under the cab), and another pair powering the DC/DC and AC compressor (with a pair of pre-charge). They operate independent of the 3 phase and 2 pole inverters.

Now if someone were to tap into the system and had a solar charge controller that can handle up to 500v, they could in theory feed the solar side of an inverter with the HVDC to tap the system for more AC generation or 48v battery bank charging. It'd supply about 46a at 280v when in 1k RPM locked generation mode (what i've been able to register peak, calculated). Do keep in mind that HVDC when it bites you, it does hold on to you unlike AC, causing the muscle to constrict. I've not yet had the time to play with the system itself to see what kind of monitoring the truck has on it -- as in, if you were tapping the HVDC side while in generation mode, I'm not sure if it'd set off a DTC if amps were mysteriously missing by polling individual component usage vs what the 3 phase inverter is generating (and what the BECM is passing). I suspect not however. I've seen the AC compressor and DC/DC eating ~17a peak, when combined with the inverter's ~30a draw that leaves a potential of 13kW capability at 1K idle.

Given the Li-ion's presence and capabilites, be sure to utilize T class fuses able to break at least 300kVa

I'm sitting next to you in class from now on. Slightly unrelated question: Are there any pictures or block diagrams of the electric traction motor? I can find information on the Maverick hybrid and even the Mach-E, but I can't get past the "magic" extended bell housing on the PB.

 

[Atlee]

I don't like the idea of using the truck to power everyday stuff off grid just for the increased battery and system wear. I would pick up a cheap portable system off Amazon and just use that with a car battery. I doubt you really use that much power right? I'd imagine it's really just for computer equipment right?

I may proved to be wrong, but for me, I figure the Pro Power on Board is designed and built to provide power to equipment I want to plug in it, and to power my travel trailer when boondocking.

I got the PB in order to stop hauling generators and gas around.

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