At the IAA Truck Show in Hannover in September, German truck technology manufacturer, Eberspacher, will be displaying a new diesel fuelled fuel cell system to provide power on board trucks.
The new system uses diesel fuel to power a fuel cell, which in turn generates electricity which can be used to power ancillary equipment. The power supplied can be used to run air conditioning systems, fridges and any other equipment which requires electricity when the truck is stationary.
The system also has the potential to provide even more power solutions, reducing the load on the generator attached to the engine. This will have the result of reducing parasitic power loss from the engine, increasing overall fuel efficiency.
“Not only does our system solve the energy problem during stationary periods, rather, we’re pursuing a new, holistic approach to on-board power supply in the truck that, beside the environmental balance, also decisively enhances operating efficiency”, explains Dr. Klaus Beetz, COO Eberspaecher Climate Control Systems.
The innovative fuel cell auxiliary power unit (APU) generates electrical power from the diesel in the truck tank quietly, in an energy-saving way and is virtually emissions-free. Eberspacher claim nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and soot particulate emissions are 90 per cent less compared with a diesel-engined APU.