Kalmar launches world-first hybrid straddle carrier

http://www.supplychainreview.com.au/article.cfm?StoryID=35483&SiloID=0
July 01, 2008
Kalmar has launched what it says is the world’s first straddle carrier equipped with a hybrid drive system.The company’s new Pro Future hybrid technology package is a modular option which can be fitted to its 7th generation Kalmar ESC W straddle carrier, boasting fuel savings of up to 25 to 30 percent.The new hybrid ESC W straddle carrier will significantly improve the machine’s cost per box efficiency by delivering more moves with less fuel, the company says.Ilkka Annala, Vice President of the Straddle Carrier product line, says the cyclical operation of straddle carriers in container terminals is the foundation upon why hybrid technology lends itself to container movement."This type of operation is very transient and has suitable positive and negative energy peaks that can be utilised to save fuel," Annala says."Genuine reductions in energy use also mean genuine environmental protection, as the emissions of harmful greenhouse gases, such as CO2, are reduced considerably."On an annual level, more than 50 tonnes of CO2 emissions per straddle carrier can be eliminated while employing hybrid technology, the company claims.Kalmar’s Pro Future hybrid technology package allows hoist motors to be used as generators when lowering containers. The energy produced can be stored until it’s needed.Similarly, when machines are braking or decelerating, energy can be produced from the electric drive system and stored. The machine’s supercapacitor energy storage system draws on the saved energy before making further demands on the diesel engine for movement or lifting, thereby drastically reducing fuel consumption and emissions.An in-cab display shows the machine’s energy flow, thus the driving style can be further fine-tuned to make the most efficient use of the straddle carrier.The Pro Future hybrid technology package includes a supercapacitor energy storage system and a VSG (Variable Speed Generator) diesel-generator package with temperature-controlled fan technology. The VSG system optimises engine use by determining whether high or low engine power is needed, further reducing both energy consumption and pollution.

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