Capital Equipment News October 2016

TECHNOLOGY

The hybrid wheel loader under development at Volvo CE is powered by batteries and a diesel engine that can be operated in virtual silence.

Volvo CE has unveiled a prototype autonomous wheel loader and articulated wheel loader working together.

could reach the equivalent of 70% of that of a skilled operator’s productivity levels when loading and unloading. This is not necessarily based on theory; the machine has done some real work at an asphalt plant in Sweden. With an operator, the same loader managed 200 t per hour, while the autonomous version of the machine tipped in 210 t per hour, according to research engineer Torbjörn Martinsson. Electrification – future of industry Scott Young, programme manager for Electromobility at Volvo CE, says the electrification of construction equipment represents the future of industry. “Times are changing, impacting the way we work. We have seen electrification growing around us, energy storage improving and costs coming down dramatically. This will impact the solutions we have for our customers,” says Young. He reasons that electrification is a great enabler from both an operational and design perspective. Volvo CE used the Xploration Forum to present its prototype electric hybrid wheel loader, the LX1, a machine that can deliver up to 50% improvement in fuel efficiency. The LX1 is also said to offer a significant reduction in emissions and noise pollution compared with conventional machines. The LX1 is a series hybrid that incorporates a driveline that consists of electric drive motors mounted at the wheels, electric hydraulics, an energy storage system, a significantly small- er diesel engine and a new architecture. It’s this combination that enables the substantial gain in fuel efficiency. The prototype – which has 98% new parts and a fundamentally new machine design – is capable of doing the work of a wheel loader that’s one size larger. At this stage, the LX1 is part of a research project and is not commercially available.

However, Volvo CE has already teamed up with one of its biggest customers, Waste Management, said to be the largest envi- ronmental services and recycling company in North America, to field test the LX1. After Xploration Forum, the machine was due for shipping to the company so that it can carry out fuel efficiency and emission reduction tests at its sites. Site solutions Volvo CE has also demonstrated the advances it has made with its electric site research project that aims to transform the quarry and aggregates industry by reducing carbon emissions by up to 95% and total cost of ownership by up to 25%. “Our experiments show that we can re- duce the amount of carbon emissions by 95% on a site using electrified machines and autonomous machines, while at the same time raising the profitability by 25%, or you could say reducing the total cost of ownership by 25%,” says Dave Ross, vice-president of Advanced Technology & Verification at Volvo CE. As part of its electric site solution, Volvo CE presented a new concept HX1 autono- mous, battery-electric, load carrier. The project aims to electrify a transport stage in a quarry – from excavation to primary crush- ing and transport to secondary crushing. It entails developing new machines, work methods and site management systems. As well as a fleet of HX1s, other prototype machines that make up the electric site system include the hybrid wheel loader and grid-connected excavator. New technology encompasses machine and fleet control sys- tems, as well as logistic solutions for electric machines in quarries. “By using electricity instead of diesel to

The HX1 is Volvo CE’s concept autonomous, battery electric, load carrier.

power construction equipment in a quarry, we have the potential to deliver significant reductions in fuel consumption, CO 2 emis- sions, environmental impact and cost-per- tonne,” says Johan Sjoberg, technical spe- cialist in site automation at Volvo CE. “The electrification of construction equipment will produce cleaner, quieter and more efficient machines, and this represents the future of our industry.” “We have talked to customers and the key demand is that the solution must be safe,” says Uwe Muller, chief project manager for the electric site. “They have stated quite clearly: ‘our people need to be safe and to feel safe’. It is an aim that has underpinned the drive for greater efficiency and environ- mental protection.” Martinsson believes that safety can be secured in different ways. “Since a con- struction site or quarry can be a dangerous working environment, what better approach could there be than removing the need to work there at all?” he asks, adding that this is where autonomous machines come to the fore. He, however, reiterates that this does not mean worksites will be void of people, but they can stay safely out of harm’s way with electrification and automation bearing the burden. b

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