Hydrogen-powered tractors
1st Quarter 2012
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
New Holland Agriculture’s NH2 hydrogen-powered tractors were showcased in Durban at COP17.
“These new hydrogen powered tractors, which are the world’s first tractors to be powered by hydrogen, have been designed to help farmers cope with the increasing costs of fuel,” says Peter Askew, managing director of New Holland Agriculture South Africa.
“We believe hydrogen technology will give farmers an independent supply of energy, which can be used in a wide variety of vehicles and applications, giving them greater control over the future of their business. The new hydrogen-powered NH2 tractor replaces the traditional combustion engine with hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity.
Compressed hydrogen drawn from the tank on the tractor reacts in the fuel cell with oxygen drawn from the air, to produce water and electrons. These are harnessed in the form of an electric current, which drives electric motors to power the tractor’s drivetrain and auxiliary systems.
The fuel cell generates less heat than an internal combustion engine. There is a consistent output of power and no polluting nitrogen oxides, soot particles or carbon dioxide are produced. This has added health benefits when working in confined spaces.
New Holland’s EasyDrive transmission system offers quieter operation, improved power transmission and great fuel efficiency. The flexible transmission gives the operator high levels of control and features useful driver aids for maximum productivity. An anti-stall facility can disengage the drive before the engine stalls, which is ideal when pushing a loader into heavy material, or to overcome a particularly high working load.
For more information contact Peter Askew, New Holland Agriculture South Africa, +27 (0)11 922 2300, [email protected], www.nhsa.co.za
Further reading:
Understanding standby, prime and continuous gensets
WEG Africa
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The increasing reliance of South African businesses on generator sets to mitigate power disruptions highlights a crucial need for proper selection based on specific operational demands. Despite their growing usage, there is still widespread confusion about how to choose the appropriate genset, often leading to inefficient and costly decisions.
Read more...
PC-based control for advanced hydrogen storage technology
Beckhoff Automation
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The proportion of renewable energies from solar, wind and water is rising continuously. However, sufficient storage options are of the essence to use these energies as efficiently as possible. GKN Hydrogen offers a particularly compact and safe option, low-pressure metal hydride hydrogen storage systems with PC-based control from Beckhoff.
Read more...
Axiom reaches new heights
Axiom Hydraulics
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
When Rula Bulk Handling could not source a cable tensioner large enough for a new cableway, the engineers knew they had to come up with an inventive solution. After discovering that no such tensioner was immediately available, Rula approached Axiom Hydraulics and ifm to assist with building their own.
Read more...
Local range of planetary units
SEW-EURODRIVE
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
s SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa actively extends its offerings to customers, the SEW PPK and SEW P2.e industrial gearbox ranges are good examples of solutions that are well suited to the local business environment.
Read more...
At least 60 million strokes
Horne Technologies
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Designing and constructing compact automation systems is one of the core activities of the Austrian machine manufacturer, STIWA. Its modular LTM-CI system has been optimised for small parts assembly. Linear and rotating micromotors from Faulhaber perform key tasks in these systems.
Read more...
Innovative five-axis laser precession scanner
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Motion control specialist, Aerotech has launched the AGV5D, an innovative five-axis laser precession scanner specially developed for laser micromachining. This makes it possible to create high-precision bores, contoured slots and other complex geometries with dimensional tolerances in the sub-micrometre range.
Read more...
A leap forward in electrohydrostatic pump technology
Customized Motion Controls
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Moog has launched the EPU-G, the latest addition to its Electrohydrostatic Pump Unit portfolio.
Read more...
Minetruck with electric drivetrain combines power and innovation
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The new Minetruck MT66 S eDrive is the first of Epiroc’s large-capacity mine trucks to feature the latest generation electric drivetrain. Along with an upgraded and powerful diesel engine, the hauler combines the cost-effectiveness of a traditional mine truck with the productivity of an electric one, without requiring changes to a mine’s infrastructure.
Read more...
Modular hydraulic control blocks for brake actuation
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Electrohydraulic brake release valves are exposed to extreme loads, and can become uncontrollable in the event of a power failure. The experts at WEBER-HYDRAULIK GMBH have developed a practical, modular solution that ensures the safety of construction machinery, and is also suitable for a wide range of other vehicles with hydrostatic drive systems.
Read more...
Modular assembly platform for clean manufacturing
Beckhoff Automation
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
JR Automation delivers custom automated solutions for numerous industries. It has done this through its scalable, modular automation platform, FlexChassis, which speeds up time to market while cutting costs. The company chose the XTS linear transport system from Beckhoff because of its speed, and modular design that allows for multiple configurations.
Read more...
printer friendly version