What are the challenges of the electrification of off-highway equipment right this moment and what does the long run maintain? Stefan Eichler from Danfoss Energy Options offers his professional perception
A key participant in off-highway car elements, Danfoss Energy Options is now, like a lot of the trade, targeted on sustainability and decreasing or eliminating emissions. With over 17 years expertise on the firm, senior supervisor Stefan Eicher is nicely 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 sooner than anticipated. At first, it was about carbon footprint and sustainability. Now, it’s extra about whole price of possession (TCO) and bettering the machine efficiency with electrification. Till now, we now have 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 at the moment are 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. When it comes to normal developments, all the foremost firms are on board however there are totally different drivers by market. Agriculture, for instance, is closely electrifying, however tends to go hybrid. They need to maintain the diesel however additionally they need to cut back the TCO and noise ranges.
How will machine design change?
Typical machines had 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 totally different in case you design it for an electrical drive. There’s no want for exhaust remedy, and right this moment that’s as huge because the diesel engine. So you will have extra space to work with and subsequently extra flexibility in designing the machine. You may also put the motor in vertically which is unimaginable with a diesel engine.
“Till now, we now have 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 rather 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 possibly can both improve the battery capability on a machine otherwise you put a battery on the web site 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. Presently, everyone 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 plenty of giant OEMs who’ve developed proof-of-concept driverless excavators and wheel loaders, for instance.
This text was first revealed within the August situation of iVT Worldwide
