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H2IntraDrive proves hydrogen fuel cell drive at BMW facility
NEWS FEATURE
H2IntraDrive proves hydrogen fuel cell drive at BMW facility The H2IntraDrive project in Germany has trialled hydrogen fuel cell drive systems for industrial trucks at the BMW Group vehicle manufacturing plant in Leipzig (BMW-Werk Leipzig). The recently completed project, which also involved Linde Material Handling and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), found that the jointly developed hydrogen drive proved its practical use, the technology is ready for the market, and can provide an economic solution under certain conditions.
H2IntraDrive shows fuel cell drive practicality The BMW Group, Linde Material Handling, and the Institute for Materials Handling, Material Flow and Logistics (Fördertechnik Materialfluss Logistik, fml) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) presented the results of their H2IntraDrive project, conducted at the BMW Group’s plant (BMW-Werk Leipzig) in Leipzig, Germany at a workshop there in November. The most important conclusion of the research report is that the jointly developed hydrogen drive for industrial trucks, which has proven its worth in practical use over some two years, is already marketable, and under certain conditions provides an economical solution. The German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) funded the
research project with a grant of E2.9 million (US$3.1 million) as part of the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP). In the medium term, the use of fuel cell technology with hydrogen drives is considered to have a good chance of replacing some of the conventional energy sources for industrial trucks. This is also confirmed by an independent survey carried out last summer as part of the research project by fml. According to this survey, 93% of the 109 participating industry experts regard the use of hydrogen drives to be beneficial. At the same time, 80% feel they are insufficiently informed about the opportunities arising from this new technology. The research report presented in Leipzig can close this knowledge gap. It builds on the Guide for the use of hydrogen-powered industrial trucks, which was also created as part of the research
During the H2IntraDrive project, the industrial trucks were used to supply parts to the BMW i car-body production area at the BMW Plant Leipzig. The industrial trucks took over all the tasks that would normally have been done by conventional battery-powered vehicles. [Photo: Linde Material Handling GmbH]
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Fuel Cells Bulletin
project (although at present only available in German). ‘That hydrogen technology has successfully completed this endurance test in BMW i car-body production and has reached market maturity is an important signal for our customers,’ said Christophe Lautray, Chief Sales Officer at Linde MH, during the presentation of results to media representatives, customers, and business partners. ‘Thus, this innovative drive technology has recommended itself for the future. In addition, we were also able to gain important insights as to the further development of our vehicles.’
Increased availability The documentation of research results shows that the fuel cell drive has delivered convincing results in practical use over a period of nearly two years [FCB, January 2014, p3 and January 2015, p3]. From December 2013 to the end of October 2015, the tow tractors clocked up 10 000 hours of operation, and the forklift trucks delivered around 11 000 hours. Under certain overall conditions such as highly intensive work in two- or three-shift operation, users were able to achieve significant economic benefits right from day one. For example, the use of hydrogen technology increases the operational availability of industrial trucks. This is because the vehicles can be refueled in a short time, while the charging, replacement and maintenance of lead-acid batteries reduces the productivity of conventional industrial trucks. Analyses have shown that the refueling of a tow tractor lasts 1.5 minutes. A battery change can be carried out in about 5 minutes, but it might take much longer. With forklift trucks, the refueling process lasted 2.2 minutes, while the time needed for a comparable battery replacement was shown to be around 10 minutes on average.
Less space required In addition, the use of hydrogen technology results in space savings. Lifting devices,
January 2016
NEWS FEATURE ventilation systems, protective trays, emergency showers, and other facilities required for the handling of lead-acid batteries are no longer necessary in the logistics centre. For the project in Leipzig, Linde MH converted six tow tractors and five forklift trucks (Linde E25 HL and E35 HL) to hydrogen drive technology, and continuously developed and adapted fuel cell hybrid technology over the course of the project. In this way, for example, the ‘mean time between failures’ (MTBF) of the hydrogen-powered vehicles was doubled within a year. ‘The BMW Group has set high standards for sustainability at its Leipzig site for the production of its innovative i3 and i8 electric cars,’ says Dr Michael Ströbel, Senior Manager Steering and Logistics, CFRP Production and Purchasing at BMW. ‘The hydrogen drives in intralogistics are making a significant contribution in this context, among other things due to the use of regionally procured green hydrogen.’
Long-term test at the BMW plant in Leipzig During the project period, the industrial trucks were used to supply parts to the BMW i car-body production area at BMWWerk Leipzig. There, the industrial trucks took over all the tasks that would normally have been done by conventional batterypowered vehicles. In their report, the TUM researchers compared the two technologies based on the following parameters: energy efficiency, reliability, durability, and environmental and economic sustainability. The scientists determined, among other things, the cost of the entire life-cycle of the trucks, and carried out near-practice calculations for a fleet of 50 vehicles.
Conventional industrial trucks comparison Compared to the conventional electric vehicles, the cruise range of the hydrogen-powered tow tractors was higher, while the operating range of the forklift trucks was lower. A larger tank volume and higher tank pressure will further increase this range in the future. The efficiency of the fuel cell system is, according to the research report, still slightly lower than that of the classic lead-acid battery. In total, however, the hydrogen drive wins over with its high operational availability, the resulting lower staff costs, and reduced environmental impact when compared with the conventional energy pathway.
January 2016
BMW’s battery charging room has been replaced with a hydrogen infrastructure for refueling the industrial trucks. This first indoor refueling station for hydrogen powered industrial trucks in Germany has been approved under the Federal Pollution Control Act (BImSchG), which allows the industrial trucks to be directly refueled inside the plant. [Photo: fml at TU Munich]
‘We judge the results of our research project to be a clear success for logistics in Germany on its road to new alternative drive technology,’ says Professor Dr Willibald A. Günthner, fml chair holder at TU Munich. ‘Our research report documents the achievement of an important intermediate goal. Further questions and detail refinements can be explored in follow-up projects.’
Project contacts: Dr Michael Ströbel, Senior Manager Steering and Logistics, BMW Group, Munich, Germany. Tel: +49 89 382 23045, Email: [email protected], Web: www.bmwgroup.com BMW Plant Leipzig (in English): http://tinyurl.com/bmw-leipzig
Hannes Schöbel, Product Manager for Innovative Drives, Linde Material Handling GmbH, Aschaffenburg, Germany. Tel: +49 6021 991384, Email: [email protected], Web: www.linde-mh.com or www.linde-mh.de Robert Micheli, Research Assistant, Institute for Materials Handling, Material Flow, Logistics, TU Munich, Garching (Munich), Germany. Tel: +49 89 289 15957, Email: [email protected], Web: www.fml.mw.tum.de/fml/index.php?Set_ID=323 H2IntraDrive project (including video summary): www.fml.mw.tum.de/H2Intradrive/indexEN.html Guide for the use of hydrogen-powered industrial trucks (PDF, in German): http://tinyurl.com/fml-guide-h2intradrive German National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology: http://tinyurl.com/germany-nip-h2fc
The hydrogen infrastructure for the H2IntraDrive project at the BMW Plant Leipzig also has outdoor hydrogen storage packs (red cylinders) and a hydrogen refueling station (white container). [Photo: fml at TU Munich]
Fuel Cells Bulletin
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H2IntraDrive proves hydrogen fuel cell drive at BMW facility The H2IntraDrive project in Germany has trialled hydrogen fuel cell drive systems for industrial trucks at the BMW Group vehicle manufacturing plant in Leipzig (BMW-Werk Leipzig). The recently completed project, which also involved Linde Material Handling and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), found that the jointly developed hydrogen drive proved its practical use, the technology is ready for the market, and can provide an economic solution under certain conditions.
H2IntraDrive shows fuel cell drive practicality The BMW Group, Linde Material Handling, and the Institute for Materials Handling, Material Flow and Logistics (Fördertechnik Materialfluss Logistik, fml) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) presented the results of their H2IntraDrive project, conducted at the BMW Group’s plant (BMW-Werk Leipzig) in Leipzig, Germany at a workshop there in November. The most important conclusion of the research report is that the jointly developed hydrogen drive for industrial trucks, which has proven its worth in practical use over some two years, is already marketable, and under certain conditions provides an economical solution. The German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) funded the
research project with a grant of E2.9 million (US$3.1 million) as part of the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP). In the medium term, the use of fuel cell technology with hydrogen drives is considered to have a good chance of replacing some of the conventional energy sources for industrial trucks. This is also confirmed by an independent survey carried out last summer as part of the research project by fml. According to this survey, 93% of the 109 participating industry experts regard the use of hydrogen drives to be beneficial. At the same time, 80% feel they are insufficiently informed about the opportunities arising from this new technology. The research report presented in Leipzig can close this knowledge gap. It builds on the Guide for the use of hydrogen-powered industrial trucks, which was also created as part of the research
During the H2IntraDrive project, the industrial trucks were used to supply parts to the BMW i car-body production area at the BMW Plant Leipzig. The industrial trucks took over all the tasks that would normally have been done by conventional battery-powered vehicles. [Photo: Linde Material Handling GmbH]
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Fuel Cells Bulletin
project (although at present only available in German). ‘That hydrogen technology has successfully completed this endurance test in BMW i car-body production and has reached market maturity is an important signal for our customers,’ said Christophe Lautray, Chief Sales Officer at Linde MH, during the presentation of results to media representatives, customers, and business partners. ‘Thus, this innovative drive technology has recommended itself for the future. In addition, we were also able to gain important insights as to the further development of our vehicles.’
Increased availability The documentation of research results shows that the fuel cell drive has delivered convincing results in practical use over a period of nearly two years [FCB, January 2014, p3 and January 2015, p3]. From December 2013 to the end of October 2015, the tow tractors clocked up 10 000 hours of operation, and the forklift trucks delivered around 11 000 hours. Under certain overall conditions such as highly intensive work in two- or three-shift operation, users were able to achieve significant economic benefits right from day one. For example, the use of hydrogen technology increases the operational availability of industrial trucks. This is because the vehicles can be refueled in a short time, while the charging, replacement and maintenance of lead-acid batteries reduces the productivity of conventional industrial trucks. Analyses have shown that the refueling of a tow tractor lasts 1.5 minutes. A battery change can be carried out in about 5 minutes, but it might take much longer. With forklift trucks, the refueling process lasted 2.2 minutes, while the time needed for a comparable battery replacement was shown to be around 10 minutes on average.
Less space required In addition, the use of hydrogen technology results in space savings. Lifting devices,
January 2016
NEWS FEATURE ventilation systems, protective trays, emergency showers, and other facilities required for the handling of lead-acid batteries are no longer necessary in the logistics centre. For the project in Leipzig, Linde MH converted six tow tractors and five forklift trucks (Linde E25 HL and E35 HL) to hydrogen drive technology, and continuously developed and adapted fuel cell hybrid technology over the course of the project. In this way, for example, the ‘mean time between failures’ (MTBF) of the hydrogen-powered vehicles was doubled within a year. ‘The BMW Group has set high standards for sustainability at its Leipzig site for the production of its innovative i3 and i8 electric cars,’ says Dr Michael Ströbel, Senior Manager Steering and Logistics, CFRP Production and Purchasing at BMW. ‘The hydrogen drives in intralogistics are making a significant contribution in this context, among other things due to the use of regionally procured green hydrogen.’
Long-term test at the BMW plant in Leipzig During the project period, the industrial trucks were used to supply parts to the BMW i car-body production area at BMWWerk Leipzig. There, the industrial trucks took over all the tasks that would normally have been done by conventional batterypowered vehicles. In their report, the TUM researchers compared the two technologies based on the following parameters: energy efficiency, reliability, durability, and environmental and economic sustainability. The scientists determined, among other things, the cost of the entire life-cycle of the trucks, and carried out near-practice calculations for a fleet of 50 vehicles.
Conventional industrial trucks comparison Compared to the conventional electric vehicles, the cruise range of the hydrogen-powered tow tractors was higher, while the operating range of the forklift trucks was lower. A larger tank volume and higher tank pressure will further increase this range in the future. The efficiency of the fuel cell system is, according to the research report, still slightly lower than that of the classic lead-acid battery. In total, however, the hydrogen drive wins over with its high operational availability, the resulting lower staff costs, and reduced environmental impact when compared with the conventional energy pathway.
January 2016
BMW’s battery charging room has been replaced with a hydrogen infrastructure for refueling the industrial trucks. This first indoor refueling station for hydrogen powered industrial trucks in Germany has been approved under the Federal Pollution Control Act (BImSchG), which allows the industrial trucks to be directly refueled inside the plant. [Photo: fml at TU Munich]
‘We judge the results of our research project to be a clear success for logistics in Germany on its road to new alternative drive technology,’ says Professor Dr Willibald A. Günthner, fml chair holder at TU Munich. ‘Our research report documents the achievement of an important intermediate goal. Further questions and detail refinements can be explored in follow-up projects.’
Project contacts: Dr Michael Ströbel, Senior Manager Steering and Logistics, BMW Group, Munich, Germany. Tel: +49 89 382 23045, Email: [email protected], Web: www.bmwgroup.com BMW Plant Leipzig (in English): http://tinyurl.com/bmw-leipzig
Hannes Schöbel, Product Manager for Innovative Drives, Linde Material Handling GmbH, Aschaffenburg, Germany. Tel: +49 6021 991384, Email: [email protected], Web: www.linde-mh.com or www.linde-mh.de Robert Micheli, Research Assistant, Institute for Materials Handling, Material Flow, Logistics, TU Munich, Garching (Munich), Germany. Tel: +49 89 289 15957, Email: [email protected], Web: www.fml.mw.tum.de/fml/index.php?Set_ID=323 H2IntraDrive project (including video summary): www.fml.mw.tum.de/H2Intradrive/indexEN.html Guide for the use of hydrogen-powered industrial trucks (PDF, in German): http://tinyurl.com/fml-guide-h2intradrive German National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology: http://tinyurl.com/germany-nip-h2fc
The hydrogen infrastructure for the H2IntraDrive project at the BMW Plant Leipzig also has outdoor hydrogen storage packs (red cylinders) and a hydrogen refueling station (white container). [Photo: fml at TU Munich]
Fuel Cells Bulletin
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