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Introduction

In modern logistics and industrial production, forklifts, as key material handling equipment, their operational efficiency and stability directly affect the entire operation process. As one of the main power sources for forklifts, the reasonable selection of lead-acid battery capacity is crucial for whether the forklift can adapt to different operation intensities. An appropriate battery capacity not only ensures the efficient operation of forklifts but also extends the battery's service life and reduces operating costs. Therefore, in-depth research on the matching relationship between the capacity of lead-acid batteries and the operation intensity of forklifts has important practical significance.

Analysis of Forklift Operation Intensity

Homework duration

The daily operating hours of forklifts are an important indicator for measuring the intensity of operations. For some e-commerce logistics warehouses, during promotional periods, forklifts may need to work continuously for more than 10 hours, frequently loading, unloading and moving goods. In some small factories, forklifts may only operate for 3 to 4 hours a day and are mainly used for the transfer of a small amount of goods within the workshop. Forklifts that operate continuously for long periods have higher requirements for battery capacity to ensure that they do not need to be charged frequently throughout the working period and maintain efficient operation.

Load weight

The load weight has a significant impact on the operation intensity of forklifts. For instance, in heavy industrial Settings such as steel mills, forklifts need to handle several tons of steel. Such heavy-duty operations require batteries to continuously output high power to drive the forklifts to perform lifting, handling and other actions. In light electronics factories, the goods handled by forklifts may only be components weighing a few dozen kilograms, with a relatively light load and a relatively low requirement for the instantaneous output power of the battery. Generally speaking, as the load weight increases, the working current of the forklift motor increases, the discharge speed of the battery accelerates, and the required battery capacity also increases accordingly.

Working environment

The working environment is also a key factor affecting the operation intensity of forklifts. In a cold storage environment, low temperatures can lead to a decline in battery performance and capacity attenuation. To achieve the same operational effect, batteries with larger capacity are required. In high-temperature environments, the battery has difficulty dissipating heat. If it works under high load for a long time, the battery life will be affected, and it may also be necessary to increase the battery capacity to meet the operational requirements. In addition, the slope and flatness of the operation site will also affect the operation intensity of the forklift. On sites with many slopes, when forklifts climb slopes, they need to overcome gravity to do work, increasing the motor load and power consumption, and thus having higher requirements for battery capacity.

Interpretation of Capacity Parameters of Lead-Acid Batteries

Rated capacity

The rated capacity of lead-acid batteries refers to the amount of electricity that the battery can release under specified discharge conditions, which is usually expressed in ampere-hours (Ah). For instance, a 48V, 500Ah lead-acid battery pack means that at a specific discharge current, this battery pack can theoretically discharge continuously for 500 amperes of hours. Rated capacity is an important indicator for measuring a battery's ability to store electrical energy. Generally speaking, the greater the intensity of forklift operation, the greater the rated capacity of the battery required.

Actual capacity and discharge depth

The actual capacity of a battery may vary depending on the number of uses and usage conditions. In practical use, batteries should not be over-discharged; otherwise, their lifespan will be shortened. Depth of Discharge (DOD) refers to the percentage of a battery's discharge capacity to its rated capacity. For instance, if a battery with a rated capacity of 500Ah discharges 250Ah, its depth of discharge is 50%. Generally, it is recommended that the discharge depth of lead-acid batteries be controlled between 50% and 80% to ensure a longer service life of the batteries. For forklifts with high operation intensity and frequent use, to reduce the number of charges, the depth of discharge can be appropriately increased, but it should not exceed 80%. This requires the selection of batteries with larger capacity to meet the operation requirements within the appropriate depth of discharge range.

The relationship between capacity and voltage

In the forklift battery system, both voltage and capacity jointly determine the total energy of the battery (energy = voltage × capacity). Common lead-acid battery voltages for forklifts include 24V, 36V, 48V, etc. Generally speaking, large and heavy-duty forklifts will adopt battery systems with higher voltages to meet the demand for high-power output, and at the same time, they will be matched with appropriate capacities to ensure sufficient energy supply. For instance, compared with a 48V system, a 72V battery system can provide greater power at the same capacity and is more suitable for forklifts operating at high intensity. However, correspondingly, the requirements for battery management systems and components such as motors are also higher.

The method of matching the capacity of lead-acid batteries with the operation intensity of forklifts

Match according to the duration of the assignment

If the daily operation time of the forklift is relatively short, such as less than 4 hours, and the load is light, a relatively small-capacity lead-acid battery, such as a 48V, 300Ah battery, can be selected, which is sufficient to meet its operation requirements for a short period of time and has a relatively low cost. For forklifts that operate for more than 8 hours a day, especially in continuous operation, large-capacity batteries such as 48V, 600Ah or higher specifications should be selected to ensure that the forklift does not need to frequently interrupt operations for charging during long working hours. If the charging facilities are complete, forklifts can be charged at any time during operation breaks. The battery capacity configuration can be appropriately reduced, and medium-capacity batteries can be selected. Operation can be maintained through multiple short-time charges. This way, not only can the operation requirements be met, but also the cost waste caused by excessive battery configuration can be avoided.

Combine load weight matching

For forklifts that frequently handle heavy objects, since the motor needs to output a relatively large power during operation and the battery discharge current is large, large-capacity and high-discharge rate lead-acid batteries should be selected. For instance, in container handling operations at ports, forklifts need to move containers weighing several tons. They can be equipped with 48V, 800Ah or even higher capacity batteries, and ensure that the batteries have excellent high-rate discharge performance, capable of providing a strong current in a short time to meet the forklifts' demands for rapid lifting and handling of heavy objects. For forklifts operating under light loads, the requirements for battery capacity and discharge rate are relatively low. Therefore, batteries with smaller capacity and lower cost, such as 48V and 400Ah batteries, can be selected.

Consider the matching of the working environment

In low-temperature environments, the capacity of lead-acid batteries will drop significantly, typically by 20% to 40%. Therefore, for forklifts operating in cold storage, the battery capacity should be appropriately increased according to the actual temperature conditions. For instance, a forklift that originally uses a 48V, 500Ah battery in a normal temperature environment may need to increase its battery capacity to 600Ah - 700Ah in a cold storage environment to make up for the capacity loss caused by low temperatures and ensure the normal operation of the forklift. Forklifts operating in high-temperature environments, although their battery capacity does not decline significantly as it does in low-temperature conditions, high temperatures will accelerate battery aging and affect battery life. At this point, in addition to choosing batteries with good high-temperature resistance, the battery capacity can also be appropriately increased to reduce the pressure on the battery during long-term high-load operation in high-temperature environments and extend the battery's service life. For forklifts operating on sloping sites, as the motor load increases and power consumption rises when climbing, it is also necessary to appropriately increase the battery capacity based on the size of the slope and the frequency of operations. If the slope is steep and the forklift frequently climbs, the battery capacity can be increased by 10% to 20% on the original basis to ensure that the forklift has sufficient power in complex terrains.

Conclusion

The matching of lead-acid battery capacity with the operation intensity of forklifts is a process that comprehensively considers multiple factors. By accurately analyzing the operation duration, load weight and operation environment and other operation intensity factors of forklifts, deeply understanding the capacity parameters of lead-acid batteries, and combining practical case experience to reasonably select the capacity of lead-acid batteries, forklifts can maintain efficient and stable operation under different operation intensities. At the same time, correctly matching battery capacity can also extend the battery's service life, reduce operating costs, and bring better economic benefits to enterprises. In practical applications, enterprises should scientifically and reasonably configure the capacity of lead-acid batteries based on the specific circumstances of their forklift operations to enhance the efficiency and benefits of the entire logistics and production operations. In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology, the performance of lead-acid batteries will also keep improving. How to better match the new high-performance batteries with the operation intensity of forklifts will be the direction of further research.