Caterpillar has introduced the outcomes of its prototype demonstration challenge for a battery-powered subject elevator with Flory Industries, a specialist within the manufacturing of nut-harvesting tools.
Accomplished through the fall harvest season within the Central Valley area of California, the sphere take a look at efficiently confirmed how a 600-volt battery-powered powertrain can ship the efficiency, reliability and sturdiness presently offered on this software by a standard 74-horsepower diesel engine whereas decreasing upkeep and working with zero tailpipe emissions.
Supported by Holt of California, the native Cat vendor, the prototype was examined over seven weeks within the almond and walnut orchards in California, with one website being Heinrich Farms, a 1,200-acre crop farm based mostly in Modesto. Right here, the unit operated a whole 10-hour workday on a single cost, loading 422,000 lbs of nuts into trailers all through the take a look at.
To beat the constraints of being off-grid, Heinrich Farms absolutely recharged the electrified subject elevator in a single day throughout non-working hours utilizing the Cat XES60 Compact ESS cellular battery vitality storage system, which gives as much as 56.8kWh of capability.
“The electrified subject elevator from Flory was dependable and unloaded our harvest as quick as typical tools powered by diesel engines whereas producing far much less noise,” says Jerad Heinrich, orchard supervisor for Heinrich Farms. “It lasted a whole day of labor with out stopping for a recharge, and we’re keen to make use of it once more for our subsequent harvest because the know-how continues to progress.”
The challenge was the primary presentation of a prototype machine by a third-party OEM utilizing Caterpillar’s battery-powered resolution. Primarily based on the optimistic outcomes of the demonstration, Flory plans to supply pilot items to pick clients later this 12 months, with full manufacturing anticipated in 2026.
“The elevator is an ideal software for electrified machines because it sits idle for a lot of the workday,” says Tyler Hupp, product improvement supervisor for Flory Industries. “This collaboration was a chance to point out our dedication to delivering superior applied sciences to our clients that enhance efficiency sustainably.”
Discipline elevators are utilized for harvesting all tree nut crops, which embody almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamias and pistachios. Used for transferring nuts into trailers or stockpiles, subject elevators can course of wherever from 50,000 as much as 250,000 lbs. of nuts day by day through the fall harvest season.
Usually, subject elevators powered by diesel engines spend about 80% of their obligation cycles at low idle in between hundreds, which accounts for about 45% of their complete gas consumption. These lengthy intervals of non-productive operation interspersed with the necessity for instantaneous energy make the elevator an excellent goal for electrification.
By changing the standard engine with an electrified powertrain, the brand new system can remove as much as 126 lbs. of carbon emissions per machine within the subject each day whereas eliminating diesel gas buy, transport and storage prices and decreasing ambient noise for close by staff.
With the assist of the XES60, the sphere elevator was capable of work off-grid through the day and be charged in a single day.
Caterpillar supported the challenge by evaluating system necessities, optimizing system architectures, managing system controls improvement, calibration, and verification and performing last system validation.
Engineers built-in the batteries with inverters, motors, digital controls, digital providers and different crucial applied sciences in a power-dense resolution that addresses widespread consumer issues whereas demonstrating the quite a few advantages.
The electrified powertrain featured Caterpillar’s new prototype battery, which makes use of lithium-ion know-how and incorporates a modular design to spice up efficiency whereas minimizing packaging. Caterpillar is growing a spread of batteries for the off-highway trade.
Holt of California utilized its particular information of Flory’s tools structure and obligation cycles to offer day-to-day engineering, integration and testing assist.
Flory engineers coordinated the demonstration challenge from the Flory Industries’ headquarters and improvement centre in Salida, California, with assist from Caterpillar and Holt of California’s groups positioned within the Sacramento space. Flory has specified Cat diesel engines for powered tools all through its fleet of agricultural tools since 2002. The corporate presently makes use of US EPA Tier 4 Last Cat engines for self-propelled harvesters, shuttle vehicles, elevators and brush shredders.
The battery-powered elevator is designed to be configured with Cat Join, enabling tools homeowners and Cat sellers to remotely monitor efficiency throughout operation and charging cycles. This intelligence can then be leveraged to enhance productiveness by optimizing in-use and on-charge processes.
“We’ve gained helpful insights from working with Flory to use our information of electrification and high-voltage methods to the difficult environments of working California farms,” says Steve Ferguson, senior vice chairman of Caterpillar Industrial Energy Programs. “This challenge demonstrated how Caterpillar is efficiently aligning with fellow innovators to develop applied sciences that maximize the efficiency and reliability of electrified machines at real-world worksites. Caterpillar can present clients with entry to the total ecosystem of elements to insights and the charging infrastructure.”
