What are the challenges of the electrification of off-highway equipment in the present day and what does the long run maintain? Stefan Eichler from Danfoss Energy Options provides his professional perception
A key participant in off-highway car elements, Danfoss Energy Options is now, like a lot of the trade, centered on sustainability and decreasing or eliminating emissions. With over 17 years expertise on the firm, senior supervisor Stefan Eicher is properly positioned to take the long-term view of the electrification mega development.
How do you see electrification advancing within the subsequent 5 or 10 years?
The drivers are altering, so electrification will advance quicker than anticipated. At first, it was about carbon footprint and sustainability. Now, it’s extra about whole value of possession (TCO) and enhancing the machine efficiency with electrification. Till now, we have now had electrified, formally diesel-driven machines, however OEMs are beginning to design their machines for the aim of being electrical. Gross sales are rising due to this, and OEMs are actually rising their manufacturing of electrical machines.
Proper now, there’s uncertainty out there. Clients forecast excessive however order low as a result of they’re unsure about funding. By way of basic traits, all the most important corporations are on board however there are completely different drivers by market. Agriculture, for instance, is closely electrifying, however tends to go hybrid. They need to preserve the diesel however additionally they need to scale back the TCO and noise ranges.
How will machine design change?
Standard machines have been constructed across the diesel engine, even within the mechanical construction, for instance, with a crankshaft, the extension of the crankshaft and the pumps. The superstructure of the machine will look completely different in case you design it for an electrical drive. There’s no want for exhaust remedy, and in the present day that’s as massive because the diesel engine. So you’ve got extra space to work with and subsequently extra flexibility in designing the machine. You may also put the motor in vertically which is inconceivable with a diesel engine.
“Till now, we have now had electrified, formally diesel-driven machines, however OEMs are beginning to design machines for the aim of being electrical”
Are there any widespread misconceptions about electrification?
Electrification doesn’t simply imply a battery; it’s way more. Many individuals are involved concerning the infrastructure bringing vitality to the place it’s wanted – such because the cable within the floor being too small. So you may both enhance the battery capability on a machine otherwise you put a battery on the website and use it to cost a couple of machine. We have to rethink the place the vitality is and the way we offer the vitality. In off-highway, there are answers already confirmed in use.
What different applied sciences will emerge round electrification?
Electrification is the enabler for autonomous machines. At the moment, all people is missing operators, warehouses and on-highway trucking. If we actually begin considering from a TCO perspective and electrify, autonomous automobiles are the pure subsequent step. We’re already seeing it with a number of giant OEMs who’ve developed proof-of-concept driverless excavators and wheel loaders, for instance.
This text was first printed within the August challenge of iVT Worldwide
