Komatsu’s new hybrid excavator

Komatsu said the key to the HB205’s fuel consumption and emissions is its new diesel-electric drive system, which uses an electric motor to drive the machine’s swing function and recovers energy during the swing-braking phase of the machine’s operating cycle.

The use of recoverable electric power for the swing function, Komatsu said, meant it could build the machine with a four-cylinder diesel engine instead of the six-cylinder engine used in its popular diesel-only PC200 excavator.

Komatsu Australia managing director Sean Taylor said “modern equipment must be more fuel efficient and produce fewer emissions, while delivering increased productivity for operators.

“Komatsu targeted the 20t operating weight range for its first hybrid excavator to help achieve a substantial impact on fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions in the largest construction machine market segment.”

The kinetic energy generated during the swing-braking phase is converted to electricity, which is sent through an inverter and then captured by the Komatsu-developed ultra-capacitor.

Komatsu said its capacitors are used in place of nickel-metal hydride batteries that are employed in most hybrid cars to provide fast energy storage and instantaneous power transmission.

In tests comparing the standard PC200LC-8 hydraulic excavator to the Hybrid HB205, Komatsu reported that the hybrid model reduced fuel consumption by approximately 25-40%, depending on the application.

Taylor said “we believe the provision of funding for future projects needs to be contingent on developers being able to demonstrate their environmental responsibility.”
www.komatsu.com.au