The project brief
The brief
Fortescue Metals Group, one of the world leaders in the mining industry requested that WAE support them in their plans to design, build, and test a Battery Powered (BEV) Demonstrator Vehicle, based on a donor mining truck chassis. The vehicle also needed to be optimised for short haul routes on certain designated destinations. Work on the development of a range of extender version to the above developed powertrain was additionally requested.
The work
Identification of systems previously powered by the Diesel engine and therefore needing conversion to electrical power. Vehicle cooling system design and integration. Full battery system design, CAE, and development. Integration and validation of a battery system, inverter, and powertrain to ensure the systems functioned as per requirements. In-house WAE battery manufacture and sign-off. The result was successful integration of both engineering teams at WAE and mining company. Full conversion from a Diesel Power Vehicle to Plug-in Battery Power Vehicle. Fully validated Plug-in Battery Powered mining truck, demonstrating the potential for a more sustainable future for the mining fleets.
The outcome
Bespoke system integration
Bespoke battery system and powertrain designed specifically for the desired application and duty cycle
Predictive maintenance
A combination of analytical diagnostics & physics-informed data-driven prognostics minimises operational failures and downtime
