Electric tractor

[Wayne County Hose]

I was noticing that many of the newer Zamboni units being put into service are electric. Being used almost exclusively indoors for 15 minutes every hour or so, they are a perfect applicaiton for electric power.

Actually, this is a very poor application for electric power. Battery powered vehicles are made to run the batteries down to 80% discharged, rested for 8 hours (theoretically, rarely happens in the real world) then charged to full capacity. Short term use, under 4 hours a day, hurts a battery more than running it to 80% discharged. Zambonies are probably electric powered because of the lawyers. A 40LB. propane tank and exhausting fumes from an IC engine in the middle of 8,000 people isn't the safest thing.

 

[js5020]

Here is a link to a neat machne, RENEWABLES.com : living without polluting. Same machine is on youtube as well.

 

[js5020]

Wayne, I have never heard nor seen any documentation from battery manufacturers on short term use of a battery hurting it, unless there was opportunity charging involved could you expound on that?

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Wayne, I have never heard nor seen any documentation from battery manufacturers on short term use of a battery hurting it, unless there was opportunity charging involved could you expound on that?

It's actually quite common knowledge that storing a battery in a state other than a full charge is not good for it's longevity. The lower the level of charge, the worse for the battery. It's not the short term use that hurts it, it's the static time between the uses. The battery being used and warming up, then being unused and cooling. It's these heating and cooling cycles that hurts the battery as much as anything. An industrial deep cycle battery is made to be discharged to 80% in one specific time period, that being about 6 full hours of run time, as clocked on the machines hour meter. This is true run time, not the operator sitting on the seat bs'ing with his buddy while the hour meter counts. For the Zamboni application, unless the battery was taken to 80% discharged then charged, the battery will never see it's full life potential.

There are many concrete undisputable things that will hurt a battery. There are certain applications, such as short term use, where the battery company tells you it will be okay for your battery. Battery companies will tell you it's okay for a lot of things because their competition will come in and say that their battery can handle it where the first guy said it's not good for the battery. Bingo, salesman #1 just lost a sale. You would be shocked to hear what battery salesmen have told me.

I have seen properly taken care of batteries last 9 years. I have seen batteries run short term (less than 3 hrs a day) and all else done by the book that didn't see 4 years. I have seen all the literature from the manufacturers and I have seen what works in the real world. If you notice, all industrial battery care sheets read almost word for word from one manufacturer to the next.


There is opportunity charging technology that does not harm the conventional deep cycle industrial battery. I didn't believe it until I saw it, but it works. The system zaps the battery for a short time at well over 400 amps. In a 15 minute break, this provides the battery with one heck of a charge.

js5020, I suspect from your question that you are involved somehow with something related to the field where large capacity electric batteries are in use. Care to elaborate?

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Here is a link to a neat machne, RENEWABLES.com : living without polluting. Same machine is on youtube as well.

I looked at this electric tractor and it is a joke at best. Did you know that an electric car puts more pollutants in the air than a modern comparable gasoline car? Yes, it's true. How does the battery car get it's energy, from the electric power lines, most of which are powered by coal. Oh, and last I knew coal was a fossil fuel just like gas. When a battery charges it emits hydrogen gas. How good is that for the atmosphere. Did you ever stick your face over a battery while it charges? I have. I'll take a bong hit from a tailpipe before a battery any day of the week. And what happens to the acid in a battery after it's useful life is up? You have to look at the big picture, not just tailpipe emissions.

As far as the solar goes on this tractor, how long do you really think those solar panels would last. If you say anything over a week, you are not being realistic.

Look, I'm not trying to start a peeing contest here. I'm just looking at the facts and the practicality. Back up the diesel tractor they show to their electric tractor and hook up a chain. And to claim that their tractor is "not polluting" is at best a false claim. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

 

[js5020]

Well now,,,,,,,,,,, I was just interested in your perception of the sulfation process, and the link to the tractor was just for the tractor, nothing else.

 

[6sunset6]

I had one of those GE lawn tractors a long time ago. 6 6v batteries I think.
It was great for mowing the lawn. Not great when I had to replace the batteries (don't remember how long). Sold it when I had to graduate to doing other things besides mowing the lawn. Todays batteries are better but still It does not feel right for tractor kinds of things

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I could definately see electric tractors in the future. The only thing holding them back is battery technology. When batteries can be made lighter and more powerful, and be able to charge them at any time throughout the discharge cycle, they will really take off.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Wayne, I have never heard nor seen any documentation from battery manufacturers on short term use of a battery hurting it, unless there was opportunity charging involved could you expound on that?

Hey, come on now, I answered your question.

 

[js5020]

Hey Wayne, I just like to get others perspectives and/or knowledge on various subjects that interest me be it for work or play. Not trying to be an irritant or dispell anything you have posted.