This chapter gives an overview of the possibility of using fuel cells for the propulsion in forklift systems and its economic impact. It starts with the forklift classification and the fuels and batteries that are typically used for propulsion. Fuel cell systems are normally built as hybridized systems, with a battery or a supercapacitor for peak load and energy recovery during braking. For cost‐optimized design of the fuel cell system, having regard to the load profile is necessary. A typical procedure to determine the energy consumption and the necessary power supply of forklifts is the VDI driving cycle. This driving cycle is presented in detail and the power consumption is shown for a typical Class III horizontal order picker. Subsequently, the typical system setup for hydrogen and methanol operated systems is presented. Finally, the costs of different propulsion systems for forklifts (batteries, fuel cells, diesel engines) are compared for Class III and Class I forklifts.
Fuel Cell Forklift Systems
Fuel Cells : Data, Facts and Figures ; 321-333
2016-02-01
13 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English