I have seen others mention the sound of the A/C coming from under the hood - is everyone else's this loud? I'm working on a video demonstrating all of the sounds our Mini SEs make. When the A/C is running, is it the actual heat pump system running like with a heat pump in a house? I'm not familiar with the mechanics of it. The sound really cranks up when you hit Max A/C button!
This is a very in depth guide I found from BMW relating to the i3 but I think most or all of the HVAC stuff is the same in the MINI: https://www.insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?attachments/mercedes-08_i01-heating-ac-systemsgb-pdf.13023/ It says the AC compressor is a scroll type which is different than the "swash plate" type that I believe is typically used for ICE cars. Info on the "EKK" (the AC compressor assembly) starts on page 28 (page 32 of the pdf). There's a system diagram on pages 45 and 47 showing the refrigerant flow in cooling mode and heating mode I also found a HV components training manual but haven't had a chance to read through it yet: https://www.leschroniquesdegoliath.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Mercedes-06_I01-High-voltage-ComponentsGB.pdf
Thanks, @Carsten Haase! I'm so curious about the heat pump so I was interested to read this info in that PDF: "In the following efficiency comparison it is clear how high the energy saving is with the heat pump. In order to obtain about 5 kW of heater output, about 5.5 kW of electrical power must be used for the electric heating due to resistor losses. A system with a heat pump only requires about 2.5 kW of electrical energy in order to provide the same heater output of about 5 kW." and "A heat pump with the components installed in the vehicle enables the function of the heating and cooling modes, as well as mixed operation. With about 1 kilowatt of power about 3 kilowatt of cold air and about 2 kilowatt of heat can be acquired using this system." However, the heat pump doesn't appear to replace the air-conditioner, with its compressor, refrigerant, and radiator.
It only reaches that 'max' modulating sound when Max A/C is on, but it does ramp up and down in the lower range. So, when the cabin reaches set temp, it will wind down slowly and get really slow and low.
