Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Hybrid battery-supercapacitor storage for an electric forklift: a life-cycle cost assessment

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Applied Electrochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Supercapacitors, more properly named electrochemical capacitors (EC), have a great potential in constituting the premium power reserve in a variety of energy- and power-intensive applications in transport and in electricity grids. EC may be used in conjunction with electrochemical storage systems, such as the batteries of various chemistries (lead-acid, sodium-nickel chloride or sodium-sulphur, nickel-metal hydride and even lithium-based systems), in a hybrid configuration where the functions of energy and power can be conveniently separated between the two storage devices and then optimized. Recently, an electric forklift has been commercialized with such a hybrid storage system, without any demonstrated specification of the advantages achievable with this configuration. In this article, the effective technical and economical benefits of this EC integration are theoretically and experimentally evaluated, by means of a conventional electric forklift. The reference vehicle drivetrain is modified by combining a conventional traction lead-acid battery, already used in the vehicle, and a commercial EC. The performances of the modified electric forklift are simulated with already developed vehicle and components models and validated with experimental data. Simulations and electrical tests confirm the functional relationship, expressed in exponential form, between battery lifetime and peak current and demonstrate the technical and economical potentialities of the use of these hybrid configurations, such as the increased efficiency and the prolonged battery life (more than doubling the life of the battery without EC), due to the reduced battery operating stress, and an economical saving (about 30 %), able to compensate initial extra-costs for vehicle modification and battery replacement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Conte M, Pasquali M (2009) Impact of innovative ILHYPOS supercapacitors on a fuel cell vehicle, international electric vehicle symposium EVS-24. Stavanger, Norway

    Google Scholar 

  2. Conte M (2010) Supercapacitors technical requirements for new applications. Fuel Cells 10:806–818. doi:10.1002/fuce.201000087

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Conte M, Pede G, Rossi E, Vellucci F (2010) Supercapacitors research and applications at ENEA, ESSCAP2010. Bordeaux, France

    Google Scholar 

  4. Chiodo E, Lauria D, Pagano M, Pede G, Vellucci F (2013) Experimental performances and life cycle estimation of hybrid electric storage systems, IEEE International Conference on Clean Electrical Power (ICCEP 2013)

  5. Kuperman Alon, Aharon Ilan (2011) Battery-ultracapacitor hybrids for pulsed current loads: A review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 15:981–992

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Burke A (2007) R&D considerations for the performance and application of electrochemical capacitors. Electrochim Acta 53:1083–1091

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Cericola D, Kötz R (2012) Hybridization of rechargeable batteries and electrochemical capacitors: principles and limits. Electrochim Acta 72:1–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Sharma P, Bhatti TS (2010) A review on electrochemical double-layer capacitors. Energy Convers Manag 51:2901–2912

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Van Mierlo J, Van den Bossche P, Maggetto G (2004) Models of energy sources for EV and HEV: fuel cells, batteries, ultracapacitors, flywheels and engine-generators. J Power Sources 128:76–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Marie-Francoise JN, Gualous H, Outbib R, Berthon A (2005) 42 V power net with supercapacitor and battery for automotive applications. J Power Sources 143:275–283

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ashtiani C, Wright R, Hunt G (2006) Ultracapacitors for automotive applications. J Power Sources 154:561–566

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Rafika F, Gualous H, Gallay R, Crausaz R, Berthon A (2007) Frequency, thermal and voltage supercapacitors characterization and modeling. J Power Sources 165:928–934

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Lajnef W, Vinassa J-M, Briat O, Azzopardi S, Woirgard E (2007) Characterization methods and modelling of ultracapacitors for use as peak power sources. J Power Sources 168:553–560

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Burke A, Miller M (2011) The power capability of ultracapacitors and lithium batteries for electric and hybrid vehicle applications. J Power Sources 196:514–522

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Al Sakka M, Gualous H, Omar N, Van Mierlo J (2012) Batteries and supercapacitors for electric vehicles. In: Stevic G (ed) New generation of electric vehicles. InTech, Rijeka, pp 135–164

    Google Scholar 

  16. Bubna P, Advani SG, Prasad Ajay K (2012) Integration of batteries with ultracapacitors for a fuel cell hybrid transit bus. J Power Sources 199:360–366

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Sglavo V, Vellucci F (2012) Prova vita di batterie piombo acido, con e senza livellamento del carico, ENEA Public Report (in Italian), RdS/2012/121

  18. Tironi E, Musolino V (2009) Supercapacitor characterization in power electronic applications: proposal of a new model, IEEE International Conference on Clean Electrical Power (ICCEP 2009)

  19. Ceraolo M (2000) New dynamical models of lead-acid batteries. IEEE Trans Power Syst 15(4):1184–1190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Barsali S, Pasquali M, Pede G (2002) Definition of an energy management technique for series hybrid vehicle. International Electric Vehicle Symposium EVS-19, Busan, South Korea

  21. Bertoluzzo M, Buja G, Pede G, A. Puccetti A (2011) Hybrid battery-supercapacitor storage system for electric city cars. European Electric Vehicle Conference (EEVC) Brussels, Belgium

  22. Tironi E, Piegari L, Musolino V, Grillo S (2011) Indagine di fattibilità tecnico-economica di un accumulo misto per usi di trazione, ENEA Public Report (in Italian)

  23. Thounthong P, Rael S, Davat B (2006) Control strategy of fuel cell/supercapacitors hybrid power sources for electric vehicle. J Power Sources 158:806–814

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work is a part of activities supported by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development in the framework of the Program Agreement for the Research on Electric System.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Conte.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Conte, M., Genovese, A., Ortenzi, F. et al. Hybrid battery-supercapacitor storage for an electric forklift: a life-cycle cost assessment. J Appl Electrochem 44, 523–532 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-014-0669-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-014-0669-z

Keywords

Navigation