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Climate Prep using scheduler not working

Discussion in 'Prime Plug-in Charging' started by Tom_06, Jan 5, 2017.

  1. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    It did from 2:55 to 3:00:

    The current draw from 2:55 to 3:00 was trying to maintain battery charge while the climate system discharged the battery. That energy (11.6A * 5 minutes = 116Wh) is roughly half a mile worth of range saved. The extra 3 minutes from 3:00 to 3:03 takes it up to about 3/4 of a mile. The 7.7 amp top-off from 3:03 to 3:12 is questionable as to whether or not it added usable charge to the battery. If you count it, that would be another half mile of range saved.

    Seems to me like leaving 3 minutes or so after climate prep ends would be optimal. The car would have little time to change temperature and you'd have full current for 8 of the 10 minutes of climate prep.
     
  2. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    Here's what I used on my old 2012 PIP. I haven't had a chance to try it out on my Prime

    Supco LLSU LOGiT Software and USB interface

    Supco LCV LOGiT Current and Voltage Data Logger, 3" Length x 2-1/2" Width x 1-3/32" Height



    01-21-2013 Charging status with temps at 15 degrees.JPG
     
  3. Tom_06

    Tom_06 Active Member

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    I'd call the 2:55 to 3:00 charging the battery, not (directly) running climate prep. There is a statement in the manual that the battery charging won't start if the battery is nearly full. I suspect the drawdown from 2:50 to 2:55 gets the battery to just below the "nearly full" mark. What I really am curious about is what it is doing with the meager 31 watts in those first 5 minutes with the assumption it is pulling some real power from the battery. There was no change in sounds from under the hood at 2:55.

    My experience is for the fairly constant environment of my garage in moderate weather. I expect my 20 minute to full recharge display would show a longer time for a car outside in bitterly cold conditions. I doubt climate prep would even run below 14 F and in 20 degree weather or a very cold garage the car's interior would be quite cold after 3 minutes with the heat off.

    I'm going to drive off at or just before departure time as a couple of tenths of a mile just aren't something I care about. Come spring I won't be using climate prep anyways.
     
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  4. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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  5. Tom_06

    Tom_06 Active Member

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    I wouldn't want to use that set up in Oklahoma right now!
     
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  6. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    you do notice the sun is shining in this picture
     
  7. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    That's also why I'm waiting for warmer, sunnier weather:D:cool:
     
  8. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    Won't climate prep also work using A/C? in the summer?:confused:
     
  9. Tom_06

    Tom_06 Active Member

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    Sure, but I doubt I will need it since the only departure times I have scheduled are for early morning and leaving from my garage. Never noticed it was too warm in the summer, but I sure notice too cold in the winter.
     
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  10. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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  11. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

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    I am guessing that standing outside the locked car during the ten minutes of Climate Prep it's hard to know exactly what the A/C is doing, is that correct? If so, don't know if you have tried this yet but can you get in the car prior to when climate prep starts, as far as I know Climate Prep will still run as long as you don't open the doors. And if you could somehow position your Fluke meter where you can see it from inside the car. Or as an alternative maybe just have the windows rolled down, which as far as I know wouldn't stop climate prep from running. Realize that wastes heat but just for testing it would actually make the A/C run harder and longer which might be interesting in terms of gathering data.
     
  12. Tom_06

    Tom_06 Active Member

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    No way I can see the meter which is next to the wall outlet from inside the car. Not sure if that matters since I can tell what is going on by looking for the charging indicators to come on. The doors have to be locked for the charging scheduler climate prep to work. From the key fob or cell phone it locks the doors, but not for the scheduler. So I would have to get in a little early, lock the doors, and hope that it works.

    I expect this will be a waste of time. I think that there would be a difference in sound from the outside if the heat pump switched on later. Why would it run the fans for 5 minutes? To get the car as warm as it seems I think it needs the whole 10 minutes.
     
  13. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

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    I was just wondering if the A/C output (in this case heat) varied during the ten minutes, or if it was a constant heating level. I know you said you didn't hear any audible change, but since this a heat pump I wasn't sure how much can be deduced from that in terms of heat output at any particular moment. 46 degrees ambient temperature, heating the cabin to 72 degrees, a normal automatic climate control would start with high heat then steadily taper off as it progresses towards the target temperature. However this might use a different strategy than normal climate control since it also has a set ending time as a target. Since the system knows the target temperature, cabin temperature and outside temperature, it could calculate how much heat is needed and only run max heat for that amount of time. In this example it would do nothing for the first five minutes then run max heat for the last five minutes. Which would be more efficient as you would lose less of your heat investment prior to departure.

    So following my theory, then of course the next question is then why would the fans be running from 2:50 to 2:55? I don't know, maybe they just decided there are so many variables they will just run the fans the entire time since that uses so little power and it's getting that from the grid anyway. And anyways if my theory is not correct, then we flip the question around - why was it not drawing any appreciable power from the grid from 2:50-2:55pm if it was heating the car during that time, and instead using the battery? I think that makes even less sense.
     
  14. JamesBurke

    JamesBurke Senior Member

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    How about this from OM page 259?
    upload_2017-1-17_15-32-31.png
    upload_2017-1-17_15-33-58.png
     
  15. Tom_06

    Tom_06 Active Member

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    Interesting for 100 seconds if I can get in the car and lock the doors before climate prep. Of course it doesn't give numbers and we already know that the 120V charge cord results in climate prep drawing from the battery
     
  16. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

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    I'm sure others will be experimenting to see how this works and hopefully reporting the results like you did. I think the tests that you already did were interesting and provided some good insight.
     
  17. techumper

    techumper Junior Member

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    I'd say this is correct, while I did not analyze the charging/climate prep evolution to your degree...on L2 the vehicle finishes charging about 20 mins prior to departure, the vehicle then starts climate prep 10 mins after that, the vehicle's 3 LED SOC dashboard lights remain constant ON. My L2 EVSE blinks indicating power is being used until climate prep finishes. This is my particular experience with the car. My Chevy Spark EV also only used the grid to prepare the cabin.
     
  18. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    Ok, I just finished logging the voltage and current from my Prime. EV level at startup 1.1 miles. duration of test 8.0 hours. Prime Charger Status 1-21-2017.JPG
     
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  19. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    Since the outside temperature was 59 degrees today and now it's 45 degrees I don't see any evidence of the battery warmer kicking in.those vertical line intervals I think is the charger making periodic checks of the battery status. Same thing that occurs with the 2012 and 2015 PIP.
     
  20. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    8V of voltage drop at only 10.57A? Yikes.