Recently, the foreign media Equipment World launched a series of reports on Future Fuels, aiming to discuss the evolution of diesel fuel alternatives that construction equipment and manufacturers around the world are experiencing, including hybrid power, battery power, fuel cell, and hydrogen internal combustion engine and hydrogen fuel cell technologies. The following is the first report in a series.
In the next few years, diesel engines will continue to play a role in the operation of heavy equipment, but the role will be gradually reduced, and new fuels and technologies that generate less carbon dioxide emissions will be used instead.
Governments around the world are calling for the formulation of "net zero emission" legislation, which will greatly accelerate the pace of diesel engine replacement. It is estimated that by the middle of this century, the bill will promote half of the machinery and equipment to complete power upgrading through alternative fuels and electrical equipment.
"We hope to end the production of most diesel engines by 2040, or at least on the road," said Ray Gallant, vice president of product management and productivity for Volvo Construction Equipment Americas
There are many environment-friendly fuels to replace diesel engines
The challenge for contractors and construction machinery OEM equipment manufacturers is that there is no single type of oil or technology that can replace fuel. "Every application has its own unique requirements, so there is no one size fits all solution for powertrain," said Preston Moore, planner and product manager of electric drive system and battery solutions for John Deere Power Systems.
"Some engineering machinery OEM manufacturers emphasize electrification, while others are looking for alternative fuels and hybrid power solutions." Preston Moore said, "The important thing now is to further optimize power sources such as fuel and natural gas while pursuing sustainable development technologies. After all, our world has been operating for centuries with these fossil fuels."
At present, the main competitors of alternative fuel engines include: battery power, oil electric hybrid power, hydrogen fuel cell, etc.
Battery power and oil electric hybrid power have appeared in the field of construction machinery, and hydrogen energy is also at the forefront of the storm. The "boom period" brought about by these three fields will be presented at ConExpo Con/Agg (Las Vegas, USA) in March 2023.
"The difference between what we are advocating is that it is different according to industry segmentation and business needs. In fact, there is no winner or loser in the final adoption of a driving force," said Jacob Whitson, chief project manager of CALSTART. CALSTART is a non-governmental organization dedicated to developing low-carbon solutions.
Battery power=zero exhaust emissions?
Like Tesla, battery powered machines operate on pure electricity provided by batteries. Many OEM manufacturers of construction machinery have sold battery powered equipment and applied it in actual working conditions, most of which are compact machines.
According to Bloomberg, the market of electric construction equipment will increase from 9.2 billion dollars in 2022 to 24.8 billion dollars by 2027.
Ray Gallant: "We believe that electric drive is the future of heavy equipment, but the generation, distribution, storage and deployment methods of electric energy are still under development. Relevant solutions need to be coordinated by many parties, such as jointly developing different forms of low-carbon technologies with industry experts, academia, end customers and supplier partners."
The obvious advantage of battery power is zero emissions. However, in terms of the current charging form, they may not be truly "net zero emissions". In other words, if the electricity used is from coal or natural gas power plants, there will still be inevitable carbon dioxide emissions.
Welcome to the second stop of Wicknorson Zero Emission - Austria
Viktor Nordson zero emission application
Nevertheless, the research of the Environmental Protection Agency shows that battery powered vehicles, even if charged by the electricity of traditional power plants, generate about half of the emissions of traditional internal combustion engines. It is speculated that battery powered construction machinery charged on the traditional power grid will have a similar power to carbon dioxide ratio.
"The number of charging stations has always been a concern of the automotive industry. However, along the interstate route in the United States, 'corridor electrification' is being promoted across the country," said Jacob Whitson.
President Biden's infrastructure bill allocated $5 billion to develop more such charging stations. The U.S. Department of Transportation plans to develop as many as 500000 public charging stations along interstate highways by 2030. It is speculated that contractors can charge their equipment and trucks at critical times. However, most battery powered building equipment will be charged at the construction site or workshop or yard, because it takes time to charge these systems.
Charging form
Charging mode of a domestic loader
Larger machines (requiring larger batteries) require more current to charge than smaller machines. The current range provided by the OEM manufacturer of construction machinery ranges from 120V/AC charger for slow charging to 480V/DC three-phase power supply for fast charging. DC current can provide the fastest charging speed in only two hours.
For contractors who wish to charge at the construction site, it is necessary to establish their own temporary power station. At the same time, construction machinery OEM manufacturers are also developing portable charging solutions for customers. For gardeners and other people who drag machines home every day, charging can be done at night when they sleep. They can charge anywhere with 120V or 240V power.
Ensuring operational advantages throughout the life cycle
In addition to environmental benefits, battery powered building equipment has also proven to be operational, Gallant said, especially with less noise and vibration. "The advantage of our motor over diesel engine is that the engine owner can obtain higher benefits without reducing the equipment performance, which has been verified by the 'first batch of crabeaters' in actual working conditions."
Jacob Whitson said, "For light and compact construction equipment - skid steer loader, compact crawler loader, small wheel loader and excavator - battery power seems to be a good choice. The power demand of these equipment is roughly in the range of 50~100 horsepower (25~70 kW), which is the most suitable field for using battery power technology."
"We are studying the application scenarios and new technologies of compact electric machines every day." Gallant said, "We find that customers have high requirements for reducing noise, emissions and operator comfort, which is precisely the benefit that battery powered equipment can bring to customers.
"The battery power supply provides operators with higher controllability, shortens the time for training and learning, and makes it easier for operators to get started, which has a positive impact on the employing enterprises," Preston Moore said.
Viktor Nordson electric micro excavation
Viktor Nordson EZ17e electric micro dig
Moore also said: "The increased controllability also brings greater traction, which in turn brings cost savings to users. Enhanced traction control can also reduce wheel slip, thereby reducing the maintenance costs of heavy machinery tires and wheels. Additional traction control will also have a positive impact on grade control, thereby improving efficiency and productivity.
OEM manufacturers of construction machinery have also begun to use battery powered vehicles (not just rails or wheels) with mature electrification technologies and components for peripheral equipment such as hydraulic systems, cooling fans and PTO.
Combined with complex software management, it is possible to further improve the electrification of equipment and realize the intelligence and automation of equipment as soon as possible.
Acquisition cost is a big problem
The initial purchase cost is a problem. According to some accounts, the estimated price of battery powered construction equipment may be three times that of diesel equipment.
But as Moore pointed out, in the future, emission regulations may bring the cost of internal combustion engine equipment to a peak. When the battery price drops further, battery powered equipment will be more competitive than traditional energy equipment.
Compared with traditional fuel equipment, battery powered equipment has the advantage of lower maintenance and operation costs.
For battery powered equipment, most of the above operation and maintenance costs will be reduced to near zero. The electric equipment does not need to change oil and maintain the engine, and the driving parts are greatly reduced, thus greatly reducing the cost of the entire life cycle of the equipment.
According to the Equipment Manufacturers Association, JCB conducted a life cycle cost analysis of its battery powered machines and found that it had achieved a 50% return on investment in three to five years.
More improvement is needed in the future
Nevertheless, there is still work to be done. Moore said that non road mobile machinery requires a special battery design, taking into account performance, durability and thermal management. He said that frequent peak power output will require higher heat dissipation capacity and more powerful battery and enclosure protection.
The whole life cycle cost of the battery is also an outstanding issue, as is the replacement cost. However, many construction machinery OEM manufacturers are studying battery recycling to help users reduce costs and mitigate their environmental hazards.
"With the cost of battery powered vehicles reaching the same level as that of internal combustion engine vehicles, and with sufficient charging infrastructure, we believe that customers will increasingly use battery powered mechanical equipment," Moore said, "However, it is worth noting that although battery power has proved to be a viable alternative solution for non road mobile machinery, it requires more alternative rechargeable batteries and fuel power to meet the unique needs of non road equipment application scenarios.
