Electric drivetrain: efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly

Electric Drivetrain: Efficient, Reliable, and Environmentally Friendly

Hakkers uses it for an anchor drilling machine, Hollandia Services for four generators: the CHD-e, the hybrid electric drivetrain from SDK Engineering. The findings so far? Very good, say Jurre van Kruijssen from Hakkers and Dennis de Waard from Hollandia Services. The CHD-e is almost silent, reliable, and environmentally friendly. Van Kruijssen: "If necessary, we can now drill fully electrically."

Clients of construction and infrastructure projects are increasingly requesting it in tenders: whoever wants to win the contract must be able to work emission-free. With the Paris Climate Agreement in mind, this is a logical development, says Lead Mechanical Engineer Jurre van Kruijssen from Hakkers. The EU member states have agreed that the EU will be climate neutral by 2050. At Hakkers, Van Kruijssen is responsible for the technical implementation of sustainability policy and is involved in the electrification of construction machinery and the setup of CO2-neutral construction sites. In addition to foundation technology and steel construction, Hakkers specializes in hydraulic engineering, such as quay constructions, piers for seaports, and dike reinforcement projects.

Hakkers uses the anchor drilling machine with CHD-e for a large-scale project in Arnhem: reinforcement of the Rhine quay as part of the High Water Protection Program (HWBP). The anchor drilling machine—about the size of a large excavator—is used after sheet piles are driven: anchors are drilled diagonally into the ground to keep the sheet piles in place, preventing the quay from subsiding. For this project, Hakkers forms a consortium with G. van der Ven BV and Ballast Nedam. Their plan scored best in reducing nitrogen and particulate emissions, a requirement of the client.

Van Kruijssen: "Our regular supplier of anchor drilling machines is developing a hybrid variant, but it is not yet available. So I went to the market. Through various contacts, we ended up with Steven de Kam from SDK, a company that had already regularly serviced our diesel engines and sometimes solved a malfunction. SDK had developed an emission-free drivetrain that could be installed. I was immediately charmed by Steven's philosophy."

The anchor drilling machine received a retrofit, the first time SDK applied an electric drivetrain. The existing engine was removed and replaced by a CHD-400e, together with an installation partner. The drivetrain uses a battery pack, electric motor, and—as a backup—a small combustion engine. Van Kruijssen: "Before installation, Steven performed all kinds of measurements and made 3D scans to determine the power requirements and where the components should be placed. It was quite a puzzle, but the old diesel was replaced by a hybrid package. Steven said: 'I can't guarantee it will run flawlessly from day one, but I will do everything I can.' That gave us confidence. No one is more critical than Steven himself."

Shortly after the summer break, the anchor drilling machine was put into operation at the Rhine quay project. Van Kruijssen: "We only had a weekend for a test run, but it went smoothly. Steven was on top of it and warned us about teething problems. They were negligible. Steven wanted to adjust everything immediately. Even if it was user error, he helped us. Never saw an invoice for it."

The anchor drilling machine can run for an hour and a half on a full battery; charging takes about five hours. Van Kruijssen: "So it’s plugged in. During the day, the battery slowly drains because it uses more than you can charge, but it lasts until the end of the day. At night and during breaks, it charges. And the diesel engine is always off. I really can't say anything negative about it, because the anchor drilling machine runs like a charm."

"SDK has developed an emission-free drivetrain that can be installed. I was immediately charmed."

It’s currently at SOK for a few updates. An extra charger is being added, and the diesel tank is being made slightly larger. If a client requests it, the drilling machine can drill fully electrically. But sometimes the machine will have to be on a pontoon where there is no power grid at all, or on a construction site without electricity. Then it’s nice to be able to turn on the small diesel engine. This drivetrain is very versatile."

It took some getting used to for the drill operator to work with an electric anchor drilling machine, Van Kruijssen continues.

"With a diesel, you can hear what the machine is doing; now the drill operator gets pop-ups. That takes some getting used to." Thanks to the supplied software, the performance of the drilling machine can be monitored remotely.

Dennis de Waard, head of equipment services at Hollandia Services, is also very positive about the collaboration with SDK Engineering. Hollandia Services—originally a steel builder of bridges—is specialized in the management and maintenance of large, movable steel structures: bridges, locks, (storm surge) barriers, and weirs, as well as structures for high-rise buildings and industry.

Hollandia Services is using four SDK electric drive generators. Coincidentally also in Arnhem, but for a different project: the renovation of the IJssel bridges. "We often buy or rent our diesel generators from Genpower, but this time the project team asked us to provide a more sustainable solution than running traditional generators. There is no fixed power supply at the bridge. This led to the idea of using a hybrid generator, as it best suited the work. Genpower didn’t have one yet, but through SDK they could get one. The hybrid drivetrain from SDK was brand new; we were the first to use them. Initially, there were some teething problems, such as different software settings or synchronization of the sets. These issues were quickly and expertly resolved. SDK always thinks in terms of solutions."

The hybrid generators were used for the renovation and reinforcement of the 60-year-old steel bridges over the IJssel in Arnhem. Hollandia Services, together with Dura Vermeer, forms the construction consortium Savera IJsselbruggen. The project is being carried out under a so-called two-phase contract to manage risks as well as possible. Work started in 2022, and completion is later this year. Due to increased traffic and heavier vehicles, the load on the bridge had increased to such an extent that reinforcement and renovation were necessary.

The bridges are being reinforced with extra steel beams, and over a thousand welds are being improved. This requires a lot of welding, says De Waard. "Fully electric is difficult because we use induction machines, preheating equipment, and gouging machines. Welding involves peak voltages, which inverters and batteries don’t like. In fact, you can damage them."

Hollandia Services uses the hybrid generator H100/200, with 100 kVA capacity. "When you need little power, the fuel engine is switched off and the electric motor is engaged. When you need a lot of power, you can combine: you draw power from both your battery pack and the diesel engine. Then you can briefly pull a peak of 200 kVA. It’s wonderful technology. And the emissions from a hybrid generator are much lower than from a traditional generator. It’s very efficient: the generator delivers what you ask and doesn’t run unnecessarily when there’s no power demand. It’s not yet fully emission-free, but that is ultimately the goal. The start has been made, and at this moment SDK has the best solution for our work."