Despite the enthusiasm surrounding lithium-ion batteries, the constant need for intermediate charging quickly drives up electricity costs. New fleet management software from Linde MH aims to define charging time windows and performance limits while maintaining consistent vehicle availability.
If many employees connect their electric vehicles to the chargers at the same time, for example during breaks or after their shifts, the electricity demand increases rapidly. With lithium-ion batteries, fast charging is also associated with a significantly higher power demand than with lead-acid batteries, explains Stefan Roth, product manager for energy systems at Linde Material Handling.
“Short-term peak loads can lead to permanently higher energy costs if the electricity tariff is linked to compliance with certain limits,” says Roth. But even if limits aren't a factor, it can be difficult to decide when to charge which devices, especially with increasingly large fleets. This problem should be solved relatively quickly with a new digital charging management system called “connect:charger.”.
Fig.: Linde MH
The new Linde system connects up to 50 chargers to a central hardware unit. This unit automatically controls power consumption according to predefined rules. Forklift drivers and fleet operators can also access all relevant information via a dashboard. For example, they can see when a specific forklift will be ready for use again or how much energy each charger has consumed throughout the day. Settings can also be adjusted via the dashboard with just a few clicks to adapt charging behavior to operational requirements. "Fixed charging times or maximum power outputs can be defined. Fleet operators can also prioritize individual chargers over others, for example, if a vehicle's battery charge is below 50 percent," explains Roth. The intelligent charging management algorithm coordinates the various settings and allocates appropriate capacities to the chargers.
There are two options for data transmission from the chargers to the control unit: The wired solution (for up to 50 chargers) will be available at launch. A wireless version is planned for release as soon as possible. The integration of further software functions is also planned: from dynamic load management and a cloud-based application to the integration of the charging management solution into a comprehensive energy management system. The Linde connect:charger can be retrofitted if the chargers have an integrated interface (manufactured from 2018 onwards).
