Optimized dispatchable battery swapping strategy for electric non-road mobile machinery systems

The imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is intensifying in various sectors. This trend is evident in the non-road mobile machinery sectors, including agricultural and construction equipment, where the electrification of machinery is emerging as a key development. However, battery-electric non-road mobile machinery systems face challenges, primarily due to the limited energy storage capacity of batteries. One proposed solution to address these constraints is the dispatchable battery swapping strategy. This paper presents a novel multi-objective bilevel optimization algorithm for planning battery dispatch operations in non-road mobile machinery systems. The methodology optimizes battery logistics and energy cost utilizing a genetic algorithm and a linear program model. A case study is conducted utilizing an agricultural model to generate battery swapping events with a variety of system parameters. The system incorporates local energy generation, varying electricity prices and two work-load scenarios: a high work-load and a light work-load scenario. The results demonstrate that the system’s flexibility significantly influences energy costs. Systems with a greater number of smaller batteries have an energy cost difference of 39% compared to systems with fewer large batteries. A trade-off between transportation distance and energy cost is identified, specifically, an energy cost reduction of up to 4.7%, is achievable with an increase in transportation distance of up to 75% . Notably, in the light work-load scenario, the net energy cost is negative, indicating that operators can achieve a net financial gain on days when less energy-intensive operations are performed. • Novel energy replenishment strategy for electric non-road mobile machinery systems is proposed and analyzed. • Novel scheduling and energy management algorithm for dispatchable battery swapping strategy is proposed. • The proposed energy replenishment strategy is analysed in an agricultural context. • Grid interaction potential and economic benefit of the dispatchable battery swapping strategy is demonstrated.