Ford Electric Ranger 2001 Manual page 407

414-03A-4
DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION (Continued)
The traction battery contains 39 lead acid battery
modules, a battery controller module (BCM), a
contactor box, a cooling system, a heating system,
and all necessary wiring. The 39 battery modules
are wired together in series in order to achieve the
necessary 312 volts (nominal) of direct current (DC)
required for vehicle operation. The battery modules
are stacked in the tray and are separated into an
upper and lower level. The BCM is located in the
upper front end of the pack. The contactor box is
in the upper rear end of the pack. Both the BCM
and the contactor box are held in place using strips
of Velcro TM . The cooling system uses a two-speed
blower that is located in the center of the traction
battery pack. The fan circulates air through the
battery pack during charging in order to control
traction battery temperature.
The traction battery heating system is used in cold
weather locations. The lower level of battery
modules is heated by a large heating element that
lays across the bottom of the supporting tray. The
upper levels have individual heating elements
attached to each module. The heating elements are
controlled by the BCM. The BCM will operate the
heater elements when the vehicle is connected to a
charging station and the temperature is below 15°C
(59°F). The BCM will turn the heating system off
when the temperature rises above 25°C (77°F).
The traction battery uses a combination of high and
low-voltage wiring. The high-voltage wiring is
identified by its orange color or orange wrapping.
The high-voltage circuit is protected by a 500 volt,
250 amp fuse. The low-voltage harness serves as
an interface with the rest of the vehicle. This
harness connects the vehicle through a 76-pin
connector, located on the LH front of the traction
battery.
Contactor Box
The contactor box contains relays that switch the
high-voltage power on and off. The relays shut off
high-voltage when the ignition key is in the OFF
position or when the inertia switch has been tripped.
The contactor box also contains the pre-charge
circuits, battery pack current sensing circuitry, and
fuses to protect the charging, battery heater, and
high-voltage auxiliary circuits.
High Voltage/Traction Battery
Battery Controller Module (BCM)
The BCM is a combination low and high-voltage
module that controls all traction battery system
operations. The BCM monitors the temperature and
state of charge for the 39 battery modules, controls
traction battery charging, cooling, and heating. The
module also calculates the maximum source and
sink currents to ensure safe and reliable pack
performance.
High Voltage Power Distribution Box (HVPDB)
The HVPDB is located on top of the traction battery
charger in the underhood compartment. The
HVPDB distributes high-voltage to the DC/DC
converter, heating system, air conditioning system,
power steering system, and the battery charger. The
box contains fuses to protect the circuits to which
the high-voltage is supplied. The box uses a
protective cover that is part of the interlock circuit.
When the cover is removed, a limit switch will
open the relays in the contactor box to interrupt
high-voltage to the vehicle.
Emergency Power Off (EPO) / Interlock System
The Electric Ranger is equipped with a power off
system that operates in a manner similar to that of a
gasoline powered vehicle. When the inertia switch is
triggered, the EPO is activated and the contactor
box will disable all vehicle power. The power reset
light will illuminate to indicate that this situation
exists. The inertia switch must be reset before the
contactor box will re-activate the vehicle power.
Leakage Detection
The battery controller module (BCM) monitors
current leakage between traction battery positive and
negative terminals and the vehicle chassis. If the
detected leakage is below 50k ohms, the BCM will
request the interface adapter assembly (IAA) to
illuminate the electrical hazard warning light. The
BCM monitors the leakage rate once every 20
seconds to ensure safety against electrical hazards
and to ensure that it is safe to charge the vehicle.
414-03A-4
2001 Ranger EV, 01/2001