Hydrogen fuel cell technology is a hot topic and the materials handling industry is poised to be an early adopter of this new technology. Katherine Crichton writes.
IN the war against climate change, the days of petrol-powered vehicles may be numbered, with global automotive manufacturers recently announcing the development of hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles, with Honda set to begin commercial production of its zero-emission car, FCX Clarity, by the end of the year.
Major forklift manufacturers in the US and Europe have been quick to follow, with OEMs partnering with existing fuel cell suppliers to develop and trial hydrogen-powered forklifts aimed at demonstrating lower fuel consumption and reduced maintenance.
Hydrogen is currently considered to be the cleanest source of energy, as it predominantly emits water vapour when converted into energy. A further benefit is said to be the sheer unlimited availability of hydrogen.
Central to the success of this technology in industry is the widespread use of fuel cells in forklifts in order to drive down costs and Australian companies are watching with interest.
Michael McGowan, Chairman, National Hydrogen Association USA, was in Australia recently speaking at the World Hydrogen Energy Conference in Brisbane and he told Manufacturers’ Monthly hydrogen fuel cell technology is simply a better solution for forklifts.
“The forklift market is a bit unique as it is not just focussed on the environmental benefits as other hydrogen fuel cell applications tend to be. It’s simply a better solution.
“Fuel cell forklifts require minimal refilling and significantly less maintenance than conventional electric vehicles which require periodic charging, refilling with water, and replacement,” he said.
According to McGowan, it is possible to get 30-50% more time between recharges using hydrogen fuel cell technology with reduced battery swap-out times.
“In addition, the fuel cell hybrid system ensures constant power delivery and performance, eliminating reduced voltage output as batteries discharge,” McGowan said.
“This is one of the things I think the operators, the men and women driving the forklifts, will appreciate the most.”
These features are said to make fuel cell forklifts well suited to conditions such as those found at large distribution centres that run over two and three shifts and the vehicles often run continuously.
Fuel cells are said to be able to run as long as an entire shift on a single charge, depending on how the forklift is used.
McGowan said while government help would be needed to develop the necessary refuelling infrastructure to make hydrogen vehicles a reality on Australian roads, because the power requirement for forklifts is smaller the fuel cell can be manufactured more cheaply.
“Additionally forklifts tend to be refuelled at central stations, eliminating the need for a set hydrogen infrastructure right away,” he explained.
According to McGowan, in the forklift market the biggest obstacle at this point looks to be price, with many worried that the premium for fuel cell technology might be cost prohibitive for most operations.
“Like when implementing any new technology, the main challenge for hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts is the full transition: getting where you want to be.
“People don’t fully understand the value proposition – people can see the benefits when demonstrated with one or two trucks but don’t yet understand the value of getting an entire fleet done.”
Driving change
Major forklift manufacturers such as Linde Material Handling are already investing in hydrogen fuel cell technology.
At this year’s CeMat show in Hannover, Germany, Linde presented a prototype of its fully operational hydrogen powered forklift, based on the company’s 39x series.
Driven by a direct injection hydrogen combustion engine, the forklift has a load capacity of three tonnes and has been designed to be highly efficient and able to reach its full power rating even when operated with hydrogen.
The forklift can hold approximately 26L of hydrogen, which is pumped into the pressure pump at 350 bar which is equal to 2.3L of useable diesel.
Rod Chapman, GM sales & marketing with Linde, says while hydrogen is an emerging technology, energy efficiency has been a long term focus for the company with zero emission forklifts the next step in this process.
“Without doubt this technology will be used in industry around the world and it seems likely hydrogen powered vehicles may even be introduced in the industrial vehicle sector before other markets,” Chapman told Manufacturers’ Monthly.
“Performance and productivity will obviously be key criteria in relation to this product but the real benefit, particularly in the short term, will be the same or better operating performance with little or no carbon emissions.”
The company has not yet determined when it will launch its first hydrogen series product on the market, though it is believed hydrogen powered trucks could be economically viable from 2015.
However it will be a few years before it will hit Australian shores.
“Many of these developments have been driven by the European market which is very advanced compared to Australia in regards to developing and implementing ‘green’ technology,” he explained.
“Until then, Linde will continue to conduct thorough research, develop further enhancements and complete field tests.
“These will involve operating the hydrogen trucks for extended periods of time over a number of shifts in a wide range of applications in order to get real time performance data.”
While hydrogen won’t be the fuel of the future anytime soon, if it can be produced using renewable energy sources such as hydraulic power or wind energy, then the vision of a truly emission free future could become a reality.
*Linde Materials Handling – 1300 135 463.
National Hydrogen Association – www.hydrogenassociation.org
*BOC represents The Linde Group in Australia. BOC – 131 262