Purpose
Electrification of vehicles is constantly increasing. At the same time, new legislation regarding diesel vehicles gives new challenges. In cases where the loader crane is frequently used, e.g. within urban areas, the energy consumption of the crane may correspond to a large portion of the total vehicle fuel consumption. For electric vehicles, this means that a poorly optimised crane will require unnecessarily large batteries, which will, in turn, restrict the vehicle range. New challenges for future vehicles mean that hydraulic add-on systems must be adapted and optimised with respect to these challenges.
Project goals
The goal of the project is to reduce the energy consumption of a loader crane for trucks by 80% compared to today’s diesel driven solution. New solutions enable the introduction of electrical drives, where in the first step the energy source for the crane is a separate battery pack. An additional goal is to reduce the noise compared to today’s system.
Working method
The project studies both the system level and the component level. At the system level, the intended use of the crane is studied, as are also different designs that enable a more energy efficient system in which electrical and hydraulic powers are integrated, and how to control the system. At the component level, an axial piston pump adapted for truck power output is studied, and specifically how digital hydraulics can be utilised and what advantages this gives at the system level. The pump should also be adapted to electrical drive. Within the project, field measurements and experiments are combined with the development of simulation models. The final step is to demonstrate the results with test benches and prototypes of the new solutions.
Collaboration
The project is a collaboration between Linköping University and Hudiksvalls Hydraulikkluster, where Hiab, Sunfab, Tube Hydraulik, Huddig and OilQuick participate. All parties work closely together to drive the project forward and to spread the information and results to all members of the cluster.
