Preconditioning and heat pumps
Warming the pack before a rapid charge, and reusing waste heat.
You'll learn
- Explain preconditioning and heat pumps at engineering level
- Read the numbers that define the behaviour
- Apply the idea to a real pack
Overview
A cold pack cannot accept high current safely. Preconditioning warms it on the way to the charger so full power is available on arrival.
In depth
Where the heat comes from
Resistive heaters are simple but expensive in energy. Heat pumps move three to four times more heat than the electricity they consume, and can harvest waste heat from the motor, inverter and even the cabin air.
- Set the charging stop in the navigation so the car preconditions automatically
- Precondition on shore power before departure in winter
- Expect a temporary consumption increase while heating
Key takeaways
Remember this
- Cold packs charge slowly until warmed.
- Navigation-triggered preconditioning is the easiest win.
- Heat pumps beat resistive heaters on efficiency.
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