The Mystery and Marketing Behind Industrial Charging

The Mystery and Marketing Behind Industrial Charging

By Vern Fleming, President, Applied Energy Solutions

It is true that applying the correct charger to your application can have a very large effect on many aspects of your manufacturing or warehouse and distribution operation. Second only to the HVAC systems in most cases the energy consumed by the chargers to re- charge the fork truck batteries are a huge expense associated with energy consumption and overall operational costs. To this end there have been many advancements in charging products to reduce expense and promise to increase operational efficiency.

If the end user is not well advised and or well educated on the products, process, and costs associated they can be inundated with many false claims by sellers of these products. The range of manufacturers and marketers cover the complete spectrum with some companies claiming they can do everything and solve all of the problems, to others clearly defining the anticipated results and savings generated from various types of chargers and or different charging processes. Suffice it to say that the end user should determine to fact check any claims made and fully understand the basis for any return on investment calculations.

In recent years the focus has been on moving away from traditional charging methods utilizing battery extractors and racking systems to Rapid, and Fast charging. These recharge processes claim to eliminate the need for the aforementioned methods saving operational costs, and many times are viable options. However there have been several instances that the amount of energy drawn during operation could not be replenished during the available recharge time, and lacking the extra batteries to accommodate this has resulted in many problems. Unfortunately the over zealous sales person may not bring this to light with the end user especially if it is all he has to sell.

Additionally recently we have seen the advent of High Frequency chargers enter the market. The claim to fame here is specifically related to energy savings. Please recognize that many inherent features and components can have a great effect on these chargers energy saving attributes. Once again buyer beware and due diligence is a requirement in understanding the true performance of these products. Several key elements are important to research and understand when determining weather these types of chargers will improve your energy situation, and or your total operation. These elements are Power Factor, Efficiency, and programmability of the controller to plan re-charge timing to minimize peak demand needs on your supplied power. Claims of 50% or greater energy costs savings over your current charging method are erroneous. Please also recognize that choosing the in correct charger for your application can also have detrimental effects.

Please see the table below to help determine the best possible charger type for use in your situation.

Note: This chart is a general guideline only. We recommend a technical review of each application or operation by a skilled charger technician prior to purchase. 

One of the key elements for reducing energy usage is managing PEAK DEMAND. This is the level of power the local power company must keep in reserve for your plant if you need it. They determine this based upon your actual recent peaks as documented and tracked. This figure should be shown along with the associated costs on your utility bill. Recently some electrical supply companies have measured peak demand in shorter periods of time to capture any additional peaks you may have. The ability to manage your charging methods and all of your plants electrical demand at any given time will have a great impact on reducing your costs associated with peak demand.

Let me try to be very clear here, you could select what has been shown or demonstrated to be the most efficient charger available to you, which would have a minimal costs savings associated with it compared to others, and if it does not allow you through the controls to manage peak demand you will not capitalize on the most savings and in fact you may end up with higher energy costs by increasing your peak demand over you current method. The goal should be first to determine your operating environment along with your fork truck operating demand on the battery. Once you have established these elements you can then begin to determine the best associated equipment. The next step when evaluating the equipment is to determine the control features that will best fit your needs and the operating behaviors of your facility.

Here are a couple of examples:

• A 24/7 cross dock facility with high put away heights and heavy loads is not a likely candidate for Fast or Rapid charging.
• A chicken processing plant or corrugated container manufacturing plant may not be a good candidate for HF chargers due to the air borne contaminants, unless a strict maintenance protocol is put in place.

All of these terms and their effect on your application are explained in white papers, and can be obtained by contacting Applied Energy Solutions www.appliedenergysol.com or 1-800-836-2132. We have designed and developed several charging products and methods and clearly strive to arm the user with all of the information so they can make the best educated decision for their operation. Our sales team and staff are very well trained and educated in all of the nuances that exist in many applications. Specifically choosing and applying the correct charging products and methods is definitely not about the lowest initial cost of the products. It is truly a key decision and all aspects of the effectiveness and true energy saving properties should be taken into consideration.