Fuel cell and Li-ion capacitor power system for the construction industry

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

Electricity generators are important for many industrail aspects, as they ensure a continuous supply of power to a number of industries such as construction or mining, where a generator is the primary source of power and power failures can lead to critical damage or hinder the continuation of the work. From the available options currently on the market, most generators used in the construction and mining industry are diesel-powered. This are the technology of choice because of availability, quick start up, reliability, and durability. However, diesel generators emit high volumes of harmful smoke and make a lot of noise, and their service and maintenance work is expensive. It is therefore important to seek innovative and green technologies which can tackle these problems. The purpose of the project is to develop and assemble a fuel cell and lithium-ion capacitor (LiC) portable power generator, for example for use in the construction industry. The generator will include a 10 kW fuel cell to provide steady clean energy in combination with a LiC pack to provide the possibility of high power output for shorter time periods. This system will thereby be suitable for a number of industries that require uninterrupted power supply such as construction sites and mines, including being able to handle power-intensive operations such as performing heavy lifts or starting up heavy machinery. Peak power of the solution is 330 kW, but for example when using 15 kW, it can run continuously for 10 minutes. The developed solution will thereby be suitable for many different applications, like drilling machines, cranes, forklifts, dumpers, mining equipment etc. The generator is using compressed hydrogen gas as fuel and is a zero-emission solution, therefore it is perfect to replace polluting and heavy diesel generators.