The Danish have done it again. They’ve identified a problem and solved it using high tech. At the low tech Holstebro Cemeteries there is a need for quiet machinery and transportation so that the staff can go about the gardening and beautification duties.
So, in steps the EcoMotion Truck, which is fueled by liquid methanol and reforms this into a hydrogen-rich gas, which then runs this through a fuel cell for power. According to the press release, “The EcoMotion Truck is a mobile power station, powered by two HT-PEM systems (High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membranes) that run on methanol. As a result of not needing a humidifier, compressor and radiator as in LT-PEMs (Low Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane), the HT-PEMs have a very simple internal architecture.
“This both reduces costs and broadens the application scope and effectiveness of the fuel cell systems in terms of lower parasitic power consumption, improved CO tolerance and a broader operating window temperature-wise. The higher CO tolerance compared to LT-PEM makes it possible to use the liquid methanol as fuel, which is reformed into a hydrogen rich gas internally in the system. The fuel cell system developed by Serenergy is the first commercially available mobile-RMFC (reformed methanol fuel cell) system in the world, based on the HT-PEM technology.”
But, the EcoMotion Truck not only serves as transportation for the cemetery crew, it is also used as a power generator as well. The gardeners simply plug-in their electrical trimmers into the EcoMotion Truck and perform their duties quietly and efficiently. Plus the EcoMotion Truck can run for around a week under normal conditions before the tank needs to be refilled.
Just like fuel cell forklifts and lift trucks in the warehouse, these fuel cell powered gardening machines provide another opportunity to benefit from fuel cell power over battery electric power (or especially fossil fuel power). Just wait and see as more cemeteries and gardening companies turn to clean, green fuel cells to get their work done, in a quiet, efficient and eco-friendly manner.