What are the challenges of the electrification of off-highway equipment right now and what does the long run maintain? Stefan Eichler from Danfoss Energy Options provides his knowledgeable perception
A key participant in off-highway automobile parts, Danfoss Energy Options is now, like a lot of the trade, centered on sustainability and lowering or eliminating emissions. With over 17 years expertise on the firm, senior supervisor Stefan Eicher is effectively 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 complete price of possession (TCO) and bettering the machine efficiency with electrification. Till now, we’ve got 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. Prospects forecast excessive however order low as a result of they’re unsure about funding. By way of basic traits, all the foremost firms 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 hold the diesel however additionally they need to cut back the TCO and noise ranges.
How will machine design change?
Typical 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 if you happen to design it for an electrical drive. There’s no want for exhaust remedy, and right now that’s as huge because the diesel engine. So you’ve extra space to work with and due to this fact extra flexibility in designing the machine. It’s also possible to put the motor in vertically which is inconceivable with a diesel engine.
“Till now, we’ve got 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 in regards to the infrastructure bringing vitality to the place it’s wanted – such because the cable within the floor being too small. So you’ll be able to 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 present, all people is missing operators, warehouses and on-highway trucking. If we actually begin pondering from a TCO perspective and electrify, autonomous automobiles are the pure subsequent step. We’re already seeing it with numerous massive OEMs who’ve developed proof-of-concept driverless excavators and wheel loaders, for instance.
This text was first revealed within the August challenge of iVT Worldwide
