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July/August 2007
Technology for Today’s Food Production & Packaging Market
Fuel of the Future:
Lift Trucks Push the Hydrogen Era
> Steve Medwin, manager of advanced research, The Raymond Corporation
F
or years, the automotive industry has
been buzzing about
hydrogen fuel cell
technology as an
alternative to gasoline, but automobile manufacturers have
yet to make it a reality for consumers.
The materials handling industry, on the
other hand, is leading the way to successfully implementing hydrogen fuel cell
technology in electric lift trucks; and this
new technology is quickly becoming a
viable alternative to lead-acid batteries.
Although ongoing research continues
to evaluate the benefits of using hydrogen
fuel cell technology over electric batteries,
fuel cell-powered lift trucks are already
becoming commercially available. Now
more than ever, it is crucial that managers
in food processing and manufacturing facilities thoroughly understand and seriously evaluate this new technology to determine if it’s right for their operations.
Fuel cell 101
A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. Energy is
stored as hydrogen gas
and converted into electricity as needed. By converting the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into
water, hydrogen fuel cells
produce electricity. Unlike
other power methods,
such as internal combus> The Raymond Corporation is one of many tion engines, there is no
lift truck manufacturers studying, evaluating pollution as a result of
and manufacturing the technologies neces- the process, as the only
byproducts generated are
sary to make hydrogen fuel cells the next
water and heat.
industry-adopted power source.
Hydrogen is a readily available industrial gas that can be shipped from a
hydrogen manufacturer to facilities via
truck in liquid or gas form, or it can be
generated on site. Either method requires special equipment to compress
the gas to the specific pressures
needed to fuel lift trucks. In addition, a
hydrogen dispenser is needed to rapidly
fill the lift truck’s fuel tank. In order for
fuel cells to successfully function in lift
trucks, numerous companies including
hydrogen suppliers, fuel cell suppliers
and lift truck manufacturers have been
working together to
research the
application
of this technology.
batteries. The technology is reliable and
is readily available from multiple suppliers. Batteries also provide the necessary counterweight in lift trucks and are
readily removable when their energy is
depleted. However, lead-acid batteries
Why fuel cells?
While the development of fuel cell technology in lift trucks is still in its infancy
and may currently be cost prohibitive for
most facilities, it has the long term potential to generate significant cost savings
through longer lift truck run times, lower
maintenance costs and the elimination of
battery-charging infrastructure – especially in high throughput applications.
Presently, the materials handling industry is comfortable with lead-acid
will typically only last one shift in
a high-use application and the recharge
cycle is long, as batteries generally take
one shift to charge and another to cool
down. Thus, in a three-shift operation,
three or more batteries plus a charger
may be needed, in addition to the room
it takes to store and recharge them.
Conversely, hydrogen fuel cells offer
the potential for higher productivity simply
because they can be rapidly refueled. To
> Exclusive Feature
www.foodmanufacturing.com
> Hydrogen fuel cell-powered lift trucks being refueled at a hydrogen fueling station.
restore energy, the lift truck operator would
drive the vehicle to one of many hydrogen
refueling stations located around the facility
and refuel the tank with hydrogen in minutes, completely eliminating the time it takes
to recharge and replace a battery. And, unlike a battery powered lift truck where the
voltage drops as the battery discharges, the
voltage delivered by a fuel cell remains constant until the fuel is depleted. Therefore, the
lift truck will not experience performance
degradation until the fuel completely runs
out. Another benefit to hydrogen fuel cell
technology is that it is environmentally clean.
Courtesy of the DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Fuel Cell Science
A single fuel cell consists of an electrolyte sandwiched between two electrodes, an anode and a cathode. Bipolar plates on either side of the cell help
distribute gases and serve as current collectors. In a Polymer Electrolyte
Membrane (PEM) fuel cell, which is widely regarded as the most promising
for light-duty transportation, hydrogen gas flows through channels to the anode, where a catalyst causes the hydrogen molecules to separate into protons and electrons. The membrane allows only the protons to pass through
it. While the protons are conducted through the membrane to the other side
of the cell, the stream of negatively-charged electrons follows an external
circuit to the cathode. This flow of electrons is electricity that can be used
to do work, such as power a motor.
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The only byproducts are water and heat.
This is especially important in food processing and manufacturing facilities where clean
air and a clean environment are essential.
Another benefit to the food processing
industry is performance in cold storage.
Currently, the range and performance of lift
trucks with lead-acid batteries is reduced
when the units are driven in freezers.
However, a lift truck with a fuel cell will
maintain its performance since the voltage
and current remain the same at cold temperatures.
At the present time, however, fuel cell
technology is viewed as complex and costprohibitive. Individuals working within facilities must be willing learn the intricacies of
the new technology and its associated
equipment. This includes learning how to
use and handle compressed gas.
Evolution of fuel cellpowered truck design
The current stage of hydrogen fuel cellpowered lift truck design focuses strictly
on battery replacement. With a battery-replacement design, the lead-acid battery is
removed from the lift truck and replaced
with a fuel cell system of the same size,
weight and energy capacity. The lift truck
has no idea it is being powered by a hydrogen fuel cell system instead of a leadacid battery. At this stage of the evolution,
one method of power is simply “replacing”
the other. Fuel cell systems that incorporate battery replacement technology are
currently commercially available.
An anticipated next step in the evolving
design of fuel cell-powered lift trucks involves modifying the existing lift truck
platform so the fuel cell components are
distributed in an optimum way around
the truck. This design will require very
close cooperation between lift truck
manufacturers and fuel cell suppliers.
The ultimate evolutionary step in hydrogen fuel cell-powered lift truck design is
a clean sheet design. In this optimal
phase, a new lift truck will be designed
from the ground up with the fuel cell
completely integrated into the truck, and
the truck will not use a conventional
battery as a power source. In this
phase, lift truck manufacturers will do
most of the development while working
closely with a supplier of fuel cell components. As fuel cell technology in lift trucks
continues to progress, this evolutionary
step is what the materials handling industry may ultimately achieve.
Evaluating the
technology
Much like the manufacturing companies, suppliers and associations involved
in developing and studying fuel cell technology, managers in food processing and
manufacturing facilities can also take the
appropriate steps to become educated
and to evaluate the technology. Important
considerations for facility managers to
help better-prepare for the emerging technology are:
• Talking to lift truck dealers or manufacturers about fuel cells to find out if available units will work with specific fleets.
• Understanding the important issues related to integration, such as electrical and
mechanical interfaces, stability and counterweight, and emergency stop.
• Investigating the costs of hydrogen and
hydrogen infrastructure and evaluating
whether implementing the technology is
cost effective.
Though fuel cell technology is still on
the horizon in the automotive industry, in
the material handling industry, it’s already
here. Food processors and manufacturers
can take advantage of the higher productivity and cleaner running that this technology offers. ◆
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