Alternative Mindset

Fuel-cell-powered vehicles will be scooting around material recovery facilities (MRFs) and scrap yards much sooner than you think. In fact, it’s likely that workers in the yard will be driving alternative-fuel vehicles much sooner than their managers will be arriving to work in fuel-cell-powered cars.

No company has a bigger, looser budget today than it did a few years ago. Recyclers need to cut costs everywhere they can. One of the best places to start might be at the fuel pump. It’s not just about mobile equipment that uses less diesel or gasoline fuel, but about looking at mobile equipment that uses other fuels.

This is not blue-sky thinking. Municipalities and government arms in places like Niagara Falls State Park are already using some of the technology. Other technology is a few years out—but test units already are operational.

When it comes to fuel savings and lower operating cost, Brian Melka, director of product management, at Jacobsen, Charlotte, N.C., says electrically powered or hybrid technology is the way to go. Although most electric and hybrid vehicles produced today are smaller units, he sees the technology moving up to larger equipment.

"Fuel savings with hybrids are huge," he says. "We typically see a 50 percent to 70 percent reduction in fuel consumption."

Nationwide, the cost of both diesel and gasoline fuel is hovering in the $3 area. Even at the lower end of the savings spectrum, hybrids would have the effect of lowering fuel costs to less than $2 per gallon for most operations.

Since the variable cost of operating a machine throughout its productive lifetime will typically exceed the capital cost of purchasing the equipment, it could pay to buy new equipment. But the savings go further.

"Once you make the leap to a new kind of fuel technology, you can look at what form-factor makes the most sense for the machines," says Terry Oftendal, project engineer for John Deere, Moline, Ill.

The power train dictates what a front-end loader looks like, for example. Switch to electric, and whole drive train parts, such as drive shafts, become unnecessary. Wheel placement can change. "You can come up with a completely new vehicle architecture," Oftendal says.

Also, engineers are looking at ways to capture energy every time a bucket or boom is lowered. That energy could be transferred to other operations.

Toro will provide Niagara Falls State Park with three hydrogen-powered utility vehicles based on its Workman E-2065 chassis.

Niagara Falls State Park and Beaver Island State Park will use the vehicles to shuttle workers and grounds equipment, haul materials and assist with

This is not production-ready equipment, Dana Lonn, director of Toro’s Center for Advanced Turf Technology, emphasizes. "It is a technology evaluation and planning exercise," he says.

Deere’s Oftendal agrees that fuel cell technology is real. Like other manufacturers, Deere has hydrogen-powered smaller vehicles. But, he notes, hydrogen is not the only option. "Hydrogen gets the most attention and has the most advantages," he says. "The big question is where you get the fuel."

Deere engineers are also investigating where the economics make sense.

Lonn maintains that hydrogen power is an excellent option for government or self-contained applications, where a single fueling location can support a fleet, as opposed to the general automotive business, where a flock of hydrogen stations would be required to support highly mobile auto users.

Fueling with hydrogen is much like fueling with gas or diesel. In about a minute, the vehicle is refueled and ready to go. Compare that to removing and recharging batteries.

In addition, Lonn notes, battery powered vehicles "get wimpy" at the end of a charge. Hydrogen cells simply need to be refueled.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is contributing $380,025 toward the project. In response to the Executive Order, NYSOPRHP has an aggressive green parks initiative to support the advancement of hydrogen technology in New York.

The NYSERDA-funded project includes hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles because they generate minimal emissions. Other benefits include reduced noise, increased machine efficiency over gasoline- or diesel-powered equipment; rapid refueling versus recharging of battery-operated equipment and low emissions. (Fuel cells emit water vapor as a by-product.)

Lonn notes government applications of fuel cells are ideal for testing the technology. MRFs, county park systems, school districts and the like are eager to be good environmental stewards.

There is a sweetener for alternative fuels, too. Often, grant money or dollar-matching is available from states.

The Niagara Falls project is being evaluated and the prognosis is good. "Hydrogen will be here in the nearer term, not long term," Lonn says.

The Xebra PK has a 110-volt-on-board charger. It costs about 3 cents per mile to operate and can hit speeds up to 40 mph.

Like most other alternative-fuel vehicles today, it is not going to be used to move tons of steel scrap around a yard, but it is handy for light jobs. A three-wheel unit, the PK has two seats and weighs 1,880 pounds and can carry up to 500 pounds in its bed.

"The bed is configured so it can be used as a pickup truck, a dump truck or a flatbed," Kopach says.

The PK, which lists at $11,750, is a zero-emissions vehicle.

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel derived from biological sources—typically corn—that are completely biodegradable and non-toxic.

Every John Deere construction tractor that leaves the factory is fueled with the 2 percent B2 biodiesel fuel. "We were the first on the biodiesel front," says Craig Olson manager of communications for Deere’s Construction & Forestry Division.

Emissions from biofuels and biodiesel blends are lower than petroleum-based diesel fuels, making them more environmentally friendly. There are various levels of bio-diesel fuels, including B2, B5, B10, B20 and B100, where the number refers to the percentage of biodiesel in the fuel. For example, biodiesel fuels designated as B20 represent a mixture of 80 percent petroleum and 20 percent biofuel.

Deere recommends B5 biodiesel for its equipment. However, Deere engineers have some serious reservations about the 20 percent biodiesel, B20. While Olson acknowledges some of Deere’s customers are running B20, the company’s own research shows B2 and B5 are better options.

"We have some real concerns about the quality of the (B20) biodiesel," Olson says.

Deere has nothing in the fuel-cell or hybrid areas ready for the big tractor market yet, though it does have that technology in some of the smaller turf products—units working on golf courses, for example. There, the hydraulics often are electrically powered, the juice coming from an alternator. Larger hybrid units are still in the design process.

Most of the utility equipment that will be offered in 2008 will be B20 compatible.

"Our biodiesel readiness initiative is part of a commitment to developing innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers and help to better the environment," says Mike Hoffman, chairman and CEO of Toro, which makes utility vehicles.

Companies like Toro also have upgrade kits for earlier models in their product lines, allowing owners to convert diesel-only models to be compatible with biodiesel fuel.

"Conversion kits are simple to install," Lonn notes. The main job is to switch out fuel filters and install fuel lines made with compatible materials. "It’s a relatively minor job."

The result is a lighter machine to do the same amount of work.

The prototypes of the hybrids of tomorrow are more compact machines than today’s gas or diesel models. That is reflected, as well, in the unit’s reduced weight.

On top of that, there are significant reductions in emissions.

"There are reduced parts costs, too," Melka says. The newest designs don’t need more hydraulic hoses and other fittings that add to the maintenance costs.

"Hybrids are easier to work on, too," he adds.

"Lead-acid batteries are heavy," Melka concedes. But the latest technology is based on lithium-ion batteries—the same technology used in cellular phones and joggers’ personal music devices.

"Lithium ion batteries are scaling up in size. They offer as much as a 75 percent weight savings over the old lead-acid batteries for the same output," Melka says. Having the same power output is key.

In addition, the cost of the lithium ion batteries is coming down fast as the technology is adopted, the size of the units it can power increase, and the places where it finds applications broaden.

Whether for fork trucks, computers or pickup trucks, lithium has the most promise as a battery power source. It is far more energy-dense than lead-acid. But it also has challenges.

"There are charging issues," says Lonn. When one leaves a lead-acid battery to charge and it becomes full, it "pushes back" against the charger. Lithium does not do that.

Instead of over-charging, a lithium cell will get hot. Remember the computer laptop batteries recalled because of fire danger? This was precisely the cause.

Industry experts say the answer is smarter chargers. "A BMS (battery management system) can make the chargers smarter, allowing them to monitor voltage and cell temperature," Lonn says.

While many recyclers appreciate their equipment, it is doubtful any are married to a particular fuel for powering it. With so many different power options on the horizon, it is a sure bet there will be alternative fuel machines joining the diesel or gas-powered units on the lot today.

The author is a contributing editor to Recycling Today and can be contacted via e-mail at curt@curtharler.com.