Home charging equipment for new energy vehicles typically includes fixed charging piles and portable electric chargers. Charging piles require specialist wiring for power supply and are mounted on the wall, providing fast charging speeds. On the other hand, portable electric chargers can be carried with the vehicle and can be used to charge anywhere there is power, making them very convenient. The most important criterion for charging equipment is safety, and this holds true for portable electric chargers as well. Given that the plug is a weak component of a portable electric charger, its protection is particularly important.
Three-prong plug sockets are classified into 10A and 16A plug sockets. Common portable electric chargers generally have four adjustable current levels: 8A, 10A, 13A, and 16A. The charger's power plug is a 16A plug, which is slightly larger than a standard three-prong plug and cannot be directly inserted into a 10A three-prong socket.
If taking power from a 16A air conditioning socket, you can choose to charge at 16A, which charges about 3.5 kWh per hour. If taking power from a 10A general three-prong socket, a small-to-large prong adapter is needed, and the current must be adjusted to 8A or 10A, charging about 2 kWh per hour.
When taking power from a general three-prong socket using a small-to-large prong adapter, setting the current to 13A or 16A can cause excessive heating of the adapter and the general three-prong socket, which can easily burn them out.
Even if taking power from a 16A air conditioning socket, over time and with socket aging, increased contact resistance between the plug and socket can cause excessive heating at the connection, eventually burning out either the plug or socket.
Portable electric chargers with plug temperature control generally have a load reduction temperature value (e.g., 60°C) and a protection temperature value (e.g., 70°C). If the temperature exceeds the load reduction temperature, the portable electric charger will charge at a lower power to prevent further temperature rise. If the temperature continues to rise and reaches the protection temperature value, the charger will disconnect the power and stop charging, thereby preventing burning out of the plug or socket.
When the plug temperature is below 60°C, the portable electric charger charges at full load; when the temperature is between 60°C and 70°C, it reduces the load; and when the temperature exceeds 70°C, the device stops charging. If your car is charging well and suddenly the charging current keeps fluctuating, with the originally set 16A jumping to 8A, 11A, or 12A, check the portable electric charger's display screen to see if the plug temperature has exceeded 60°C. If it has, it means the device has entered load reduction mode and the charging current will decrease as the temperature rises, so the vehicle's app will show the charging current constantly changing.
In conclusion, plug temperature control is an extremely important function for portable electric chargers, and drivers should pay close attention when purchasing a charger.
