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Charging 120v Question / Issue?

Calson

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chl

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So just want to point somethings out.

As the OP's experience may prove, the FMPC is drawing more than 12A on a 120V circuit continuously. Maybe 15A?

First the 240V use of the FMPC - is it 30A or really 24A?

1) those Ford Mobile Power Cables have a lot of failures, overheating evidenced when they fail, what causes overheating? Higher current than the device can handle. Either the device is poorly designed or the Lightning is requesting too much current, or both.

2) The FMPC is supposed to be able to provide up to 30A on a 240V circuit to the Lightning, that would tend to indicate that on a 120V circuit it would provide up to 15A - half the voltage, half the current.
Why do I say this?
Because I traced the wiring of the dongles for the FMPC, both the 240V and 120V dongles:

Ford F-150 Lightning Charging 120v Question / Issue? Mobile Power Cord-240v dongle-2

Ford F-150 Lightning Charging 120v Question / Issue? Mobile Power Cord-120v dongle

240V between Hot1 and Hot 2 in one dongle providing up to 30A, 120V between Hot1 and Neutral in the other.

3) Since most household 120V outlets are on 15A circuits, and since an EVSE is a continuous load, the current should be scaled back to a max of 12A (15A x 80%). Which means the 240V output should be scaled back to 24A max as well. Some posts have indicated that is the measured current at 240V with the FMPC.

4) Given the number of failures from an apparent over current in the FMPC, something unexpected is happening. Is the FMPC communicating to the Lightning it can handle 30A when it can only handle 24A on a continuous basis? Or 15A when it can only handle 12A on a continuous basis?

It could be like the problem of peak power vs RMS power: RMS = 0.707 Peak Power.

If the FMPC is rated for a peak power of 7.2kW at 240V, the the continuous power it can provide is about 5.1kW. That's a current of about 21A. Over time running at peak power will burn a device up from over current.

If the FMPC was programmed to report peak current instead of RMS/continuous current, and the Lightning expects it to report RMS/continuous current, then Houston, we have a problem.

Either way, do not use a 120V 15A extension cable with the FMPC even if it should hanlde 12A because as your experience may prove, the FMPC is drawing more than 12A continuously.
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For wiring an outlet for the 240V use of the FMPC.
If it were a 24A continuous load, #10 wire could be used. #10 gauge wire is rated for 30A peak, not continuous, loads.

But if the current draw is 30A, using the 125% rule the circuit has to handle 37.5A, so #8 wire on a 40A breaker is needed.

I used the FMPC on a 240V 40A circuit and breaker with no problem with the Lightning before I received my FCSP, but only for a short time.

I also used it with my Leaf which can only ask for 16A on L2 due to it's small on-board circuitry.
 
 





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