Crown Awarded $1 Million Grant to Conduct Fuel Cell Research

July 9, 2008 • Crown Equipment Corp., New Bremen, Ohio, was recently awarded nearly $1 million in grant money from the Ohio Department of Development and Ohio's Third Frontier Commission to conduct fuel cell research.

 

Developing fuel cells is an extension of Crown's ongoing focus on environmental sustainability, and the project will expand Crown's focus to actively participate in and support the development of environmentally friendly alternative fuels that provide power savings for its customers.

 

Addressing the technical and commercial barriers to the application of available battery replacement fuel cell power packs in industrial lift trucks will be a primary focus of the project. The study will facilitate the creation and growth of material-handling equipment used in warehouses and distribution centers to be powered by fuel cells. 

 

 “There are several considerations to evaluate before offering a wide-range of lift trucks with a fuel cell as its power source,” said Jim Dicke, president of Crown Equipment. “In the current design, the battery provides a counterweight to the load. Fuel cells are much lighter. We need to explore solutions and make sure all systems are compatible to ensure the critical performance characteristics of a lift truck.”

 

Crown intends to review the performance of each unique combination of its lift trucks with fuel cell power. This study should reveal any necessary modifications required to maintain the intended use of the lift truck while complying with industry standards.