Application & Technology Trends in Construction Equipment
Construction equipment operates in extremely challenging physical environments. Designers of electric drive systems for construction equipment need to consider the effects of extreme shock, vibration, temperature, and humidity conditions in order to choose components wisely. There are a number of challenges and trends to consider.
Current trends in construction equipment
There is mounting pressure on the construction industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – governments worldwide are enacting tougher environmental legislation in an effort to reduce the impacts of climate change. Construction equipment is known to be a major contributor to deteriorating air quality.
The hybridization of larger construction equipment and the development of range extenders improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and save money for the operator.
The clean operation of electric drive equipment means that it can be safely operated indoors, opening up new opportunities for small equipment and eliminating the need for expensive exhaust removal and cleaning equipment that is necessary when running diesel equipment indoors.
Telematics solutions provide more information to the equipment or fleet operator across all of their assets, helping maximize productivity, schedule routine maintenance, prevent equipment failure and adjust how human and mechanical resources are deployed.
The rise of electrification
- Electric drive systems:
- provide instantaneous torque at all speeds
- generate significantly less noise
- are far less complicated to build and maintain
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- are more efficient, reducing wasted energy and excess heat generation
- are more economical to operate over time
- Electric drive backhoes, loaders, excavators and skid steers can safely operate indoors, making them the only practical solution for indoor construction activities
- The emergence of lithium battery technology continues to improve electric drive system efficiency
- The emergence of high-frequency power electronics widens the efficiency gap
The evolution of battery chemistries
Historically, construction equipment has been powered by gas or diesel-fueled internal combustion engines. Fossil fuels can meet the demand for high instantaneous power levels and significant energy capacity to power a vehicle for an extended period of time. Traditional lead-acid batteries have a low energy density, so cannot meet the equipment’s needs.
Over the last few years, a transition has begun in construction equipment from diesel power plants to lithium batteries and electric drive. This trend has emerged initially in compact equipment, but larger vehicles are now beginning to electrify or hybridize. There are a number of reasons for this transition, but the most significant is the Total Cost of Ownership placing lithium solutions equivalent to or superior to diesel machines.
Charging system options
It’s more than just volts and amps. Incorporating the right battery charger solutions for individual construction equipment or fleet operations is an important design consideration. Returning energy to batteries in a safe, appropriate, and efficient way requires a deep understanding of how batteries react to charge and discharge. Lithium batteries require Battery Management Systems to ensure safety, and CAN bus communications provides significant operational benefits.
Access to power can be challenging for electric construction equipment, especially early in a large construction project or in a remote or rural location. Deploying electric equipment will require access to sufficient reliable electric power to recharge all the machines, or operators and foremen will become frustrated.
- Onboard chargers can be well matched to the size and recharge requirements of their lithium battery packs for efficient overnight charging, and also allow for opportunity charging to help extend duty cycles
- Offboard charging can be provided at a central location, with high power battery chargers providing substantial energy to high-capacity lithium battery packs when equipment is not in use
- Hybrid charging solutions can be developed that combine the best of both systems, especially for vehicles that are operating for longer periods of the day; opportunity charging with an on-board charger during idle time or breaks and periodically using a higher power off-board charger when the battery pack isn’t in use
- Battery swapping may be an attractive option in the heaviest duty cycle scenarios – where the equipment can’t make it through its daily operations on a single charge
The future of construction equipment
The most forward-thinking construction operators are already starting to consider the impacts of technologies well beyond what is happening today. Construction equipment manufacturers will need to consider the impacts of these future concepts:
- Rising construction costs and shortage of skilled labor will place greater demands on the equipment used on construction sites and lead to the development of new products that can automate once manual tasks. Construction robots are on the horizon.
- The deployment of drones for mapping, security, transport and assessment tasks improves construction site efficiency and safety.
- Advanced precision control technology will use remote control and gyroscopes to safely rotate and place crane loads, even in windy conditions.
- Prefab construction and modular building will become a larger share of residential and commercial construction over the next twenty years – changing the equipment requirements on site.
- Renewable energy solutions can help construction sites become more independent of the electrical grid.
- Large-scale swappable energy storage systems can be deployed for remote construction locations. Megawatt-hours of power can be delivered to site, used up, then replaced as needed with a fully charged “tank.”
- On-site energy storage can be deployed to peak shave electrical demand, provide energy security and stability, manage and buffer load on the electrical grid, and even provide arbitrage opportunities to sell energy back to the grid.
About Delta-Q Technologies and ZAPI GROUP
Delta-Q Technologies is charging the future and driving the world’s transition into electric energy! We collaboratively design, test, and manufacture robust battery chargers that improve the performance of our customer’s electric drive vehicles and industrial machines.
As the supplier of choice for Tier 1 OEMs, we use our values, perseverance, and engineering expertise to guide our customers through the electrification process for a sustainable world.
We're also part of the ZAPI GROUP, a global leader in electronic speed controllers and associated products for battery and hybrid-powered electric vehicles.
Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Delta-Q’s team and distribution spans five continents to service industries such as electric golf cars, lift trucks, aerial work platforms, e-mobility, floor care machines, utility/recreational vehicles and new markets, like outdoor power equipment.
Some of our customers
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Some of our battery partners
“Our partnership with Delta-Q Technologies has come with great success! We're pleased with the results and the positive responses from our customers since the integration of their chargers onto our NexSys® PURE batteries.”