Fuel Cell Powertrain for Mining and Construction Machines

Hybrid and electrified drives are now common in many mobile applications, such as cars or city buses, and have proven their performance and robustness in everyday use. However, these alternative drive concepts can only be found to a limited extent in the product portfolios of construction and mining machinery manufacturers and are rarely used in practice. In addition to the fact that hydrogen-powered fuel cell drives, just like battery-electric ones, produce no local emissions and can recover energy through recuperation, they also offer significantly longer operating times compared to battery-electric alternatives. The limited use in these vehicle applications is primarily due to the harsh environment and the corresponding requirements placed on the powertrain. In particular, vibrations, climbing ability, dust and emission loads as well as the boundary conditions for thermal management are particularly high. The aim of this study is to identify the necessary specifications of a hydrogen-powered test vehicle for emission-free powertrains in the mining and construction sector based on sophisticated simulation tools and specific methods. The requirements for the drivetrain are defined with the help of a topology variation, considering typical application scenarios. Based on the topology developed for the use case selected, the energy management is developed and optimized to achieve minimum fuel consumption.