Forklifts, automated guided vehicles and horizontal order pickers in industrial environments. Energy management of an active hybrid power system based on batteries, PEM fuel cells and ultracapacitors

Abstract

The renewable energies together with other technologies in low CO2 emissions and the efficiency must be the base of the most sustainable new energetic system. Currently the logistics industry has a large number of vehicles (forklifts, horizontal order pickers, automated guided vehicles AGVs, tow vehicles, captive fleets applied to logistic…) intended to transport goods inside the plant. A problem associated with these logistic vehicles (electric or combustion type) is the charging time and balancing time in the batteries. Solution to the problem approached would be a system that requires a power charging times relatively short (similar to filling in the combustion system) and at the same time that have zero emissions (do not forget that they are operating in a closed environment). Typically, automated guided vehicles and forklifts are operated with lead-acid batteries. The replacement of the traction battery with active hybrid power supply provide advantages as longer operating time, no recharging batteries, sizing of the fuel cell can be reduced and energy recovery during braking. Thus, energy management of an Active Hybrid Power System based on Li+ batteries, ultracapacitors and PEM fuel cells, is presented in this paper. Original lead-acid battery can be easily replaced by this new system implemented for industrial vehicles.