Battery-changing station
For sideloader forklift trucks with electric drives to be operated with energy supplied by a PV system, they need exchangeable battery packs. This study is developing ideas and concepts for an efficient, safe battery-changing station.
Factsheet
- Lead school School of Engineering and Computer Science
- Institute Institute for Energy and Mobility Research IEM
- Funding organisation Innosuisse
- Duration (planned) 25.11.2022 - 25.05.2023
- Project management Prof. Remo Lauener
- Head of project Prof. Remo Lauener
- Partner Arbor AG
- Keywords Sideloader, forklift, electric mobility, sustainability
Situation
Arbor AG is a company that offers heavy plant for hire or purchase, including side loaders for the handling of long materials (steel, building materials, wooden boards and beams). Economic and ecological considerations are leading ever more customers to switch from sideloaders with a combustion engine to models with an electric drive. As a decarbonisation tool, it should be deployed as efficiently as possible. It is only logical that Arbor AG’s customers want to use the energy from their own photovoltaic systems. Since the time of the strongest sunshine coincides with the operating times of the electric forklift, the forklifts have to be equipped with exchangeable battery packs. However, the battery packs are much too heavy and bulky to handle easily and safely. In current practice, the battery packs are changed either using an overhead crane and a crane fork, or with the help of a second forklift truck. Many clients do not have access to either at their premises.
Course of action
In a preliminary study, researchers from the Institute of Energy and Mobility Research IEM at Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH are working with the company Arbor AG to develop ideas and concepts for an efficient, safe battery-changing station.
