Reduced energy costs, longer service life

Product

9/6/2015 / Wels

Wels, 27/05/2015 – Fronius will be presenting a comprehensive portfolio of products and services concerning battery charging technology at the Austrian Logistics Day (25th July 2015 at Design Center Linz), an event organised by the Austrian Logistics Network. From its base in the Austrian town of Wels, the technology leader has developed a completely new generation of battery charging systems for electrically powered forklift trucks based on the Ri charging process. These minimise energy loss during charging, thereby reducing energy costs and CO2 emissions as well as increasing the service life of the battery.

cool battery guide — With the “Cool Battery Guide Easy” and “Cool Battery Guide Premium” information and management systems, Fronius has developed two solutions for optimum utilisation of the battery pool and an extended battery life. (Photo: Fronius)

Unlike conventional processes such as 50 Hz transformer or high frequency (HF) technology, the Ri charging behaviour does not follow a fixed characteristic with a predefined current. Instead it is determined by the battery's effective inner resistance (Ri), which in turn is dependent on the age, temperature and state of charge of the battery. Every single charging cycle is therefore unique and has its own characteristic. Overcharging can thus be minimised, which causes high energy loss and harmful battery warming. As far as the user is concerned, this system delivers two significant advantages: it increases energy efficiency during charging, thereby reducing energy costs, and it extends the service life of the battery. Many well-known companies are already successfully using the technology, for instance in the automotive, food and logistics industries.

Fronius will also be using its exhibition stand (Stand 03) to demonstrate its know-how on equipping standards-compliant battery charging rooms and stations. Fronius supports its customers right from the planning phase and ensures that the systems meet all the necessary requirements, including fire and explosion protection or work safety. In addition, Fronius offers a comprehensive product portfolio for adapting battery charging rooms and stations to individual circumstances and requirements, including charging modules in various sizes, safety and maintenance modules, changeover stations and housings for use outdoors.

With the “Cool Battery Guide Easy” and “Cool Battery Guide Premium” information and management systems, Fronius has also developed two solutions for optimum utilisation of the battery pool and an extended battery life. A control unit shows the user which battery has been fully charged for the longest and is therefore the coolest, which can also be indicated by optional LED strips on the individual battery charging systems. This ensures that all batteries are used equally as often and have enough time to cool down. In addition, the “Cool Battery Guide Premium” enables employees to identify individual batteries and battery charging systems. The system automatically records the relevant data, analyses the charging cycles and logs errors, making battery charging even safer, more reliable and more efficient. Using this data, the user is able to determine potential savings that can be achieved by optimising utilisation of the battery and battery pool.

Fronius also has a wealth of expertise in the field of energy consultancy and efficiency. Using the free I-SPoT calculation tool, the company provides its customers with an overview of the ongoing operating costs associated with their forklift truck systems. By taking certain parameters into account, such as the number of weekly charging cycles, electricity price, battery capacities and available charging times, Fronius can calculate the potential savings in terms of energy costs and CO2 emissions. This enables the user to significantly and permanently reduce their intralogistics costs.