On 16th October 2023, the headquarter of BAUER Maschinen GmbH in Schrobenhausen/Germany, hosted the kick-off event for a research project with the potential to catapult the carbon footprint of specialist foundation equipment to a whole new level. The goal: climate-neutral operation based on a fuel cell system. The consortium partners are BAUER Maschinen GmbH along with the Professorship for Fluid Systems Technology and the Chair for Fluid Mechanics at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Figure 1).
Over the next three years, the project partners will work together to develop a concept for operating construction equipment in specialist foundation with zero CO2 emissions. The plan is to integrate a drive system comprising a hydrogen fuel cell, along with all necessary peripheral components (“balance of plant”), into a special foundation machine from BAUER Maschinen GmbH. The fuel cell system along with other required components such as H2 storage unit and cooling unit are designed as a plug-in module for universal use.
Within the project, operating strategies for fuel cells and backup batteries are evaluated with regard to the technical requirements. Another focus of research is the targeted influencing of noise emissions, which negatively impact both equipment operators and the environment during the operation of construction equipment. With the aid of aeroacoustics simulations and resulting measures to reduce noise, the aim is to significantly reduce emissions compared to conventional, diesel-powered equipment. At the end of the project, the plug-in module will be installed on a Bauer machine and tested in practical application.
The research project planned for three years, with its official title “Modular drive system with fuel cells for applications in specialist foundation engineering” (MABAS), has received funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) as part of the 7th Energy Research Program, a grant of approximately 2.5 M €. The project represents another logical step towards the goal of sustainability: Following Bauer’s previous contributions to sustainable construction with the cable-bound eBG 33 and battery-powered eBG 33 H all electric, the use of hydrogen technology in the form of a fuel cell is a logical enhancement. A hydrogen-powered machine can be used anywhere a cable connection is impossible or specific services are required that cannot be provided to the necessary extent using only batteries. (BAUER/Si.)
