Ground_Support_EMilitary_Winter_2019 - 15

advantage of technology improvements each
year, giving our customers both improved battery
longevity and increased energy density. We are
now on our 3rd generation battery pack. In addition to improving the battery, we are now focused
on real-time data gathering and analysis of
GPS, vehicle and battery information to help our
customers improve their operations and reduce
costs," explains Kasimir Rantzau, business development manager at Colibri.
When designing the batteries, Colibri set out to
meet four key criteria:
■ Survive tarmac temperatures in the middle
east which can exceed 50 degrees C and
100 percent humidity.
■ Fit in the space occupied by standardized
lead acid batteries for baggage tractors and
other commonly used GSE vehicles
■ Full compatibility with existing tractor
electronics to allow operators to easily swap
lead acid batteries with COLIBRI Lithium
systems.
■ Safety under all operating conditions,
including heavy abuse tolerance
"Our key features are reliability in temperatures
ranging between -20 to +60 degrees Celsius,
long-lasting performance that's five times longer
than lead acid and ultra-fast charging. These
features are mirrored in higher availability, lower
operating costs and smoother operations. In
comparison to lead acid, our battery has proven
cost savings of over 50 percent," said Rantzau.
Colibri's standard 80 volt battery is designed
to be compatible with all leading GSE vehicle
brands that require high workloads, absolute
reliability and that cannot be paused from service
due to battery maintenance or repairs. This
includes vehicles such as: baggage tractors,
cargo tractors, pushbacks, lifters, belt loaders,
forklifts and AGVs. Colibri also makes a version of
its batteries specifically designed for the fleets in
extreme climates
"We have over seven years of experience
at airports located around the globe, with
some of the locations suffering from horrible
tarmac, climates both with extreme rain, snow
and dust, and high availability requirements.
Our battery was engineered from day one with
these environments in mind and since 2013 we
have continued to engineer increasing levels of
robustness, safety and performance into each
new generation," Rantzau said.
The advantages of switching from lead-acid
batteries to lithium is multifold. Lithium batteries

make for safer operations from requiring much
less maintenance than lead-acid and have neither
the dangerous chemicals nor gasses associated
with lead-acid batteries. Lithium batteries are
also ideal for machine pooling, as the batteries
can be operational 24/7, not needing to be taken
down for cooling or maintenance. And thanks to
their quick charging and maintenance free nature,
lithium batteries allow for a quick change over
from lead-acid without needing any additional
infrastructure changes.
Lithium also is a game changer when it comes
to converting diesel powered fleets to electric.
Lithium does not require new workshops, airconditioned storage or trained maintenance staff,
unlike lead acid. Making a switch from diesel to
electric a viable and finally attractive option.
"Infrastructure costs can be greatly reduced
through lithium, due to lower charging times. This
enables airports and ground handlers to require
less chargers to maintain optimal operations.
Battery maintenance workshops also are not
required, due to the zero maintenance nature
of Colibri lithium batteries. This allows ground
handlers to have slim fleets, rather than additional
batteries for swaps and/or inflated fleets to
secure vehicle availability," exaplined Rantzau.
Another advantage over other lead-acid
batteries is lithium's overall performance.
"A valuable benefit that lithium provides is
that it sustains its intended voltage far longer
than lead acid. A common issue that lead acid
batteries face, is its drop in voltage as the charge
depletes. This causes the availability to performance and power to be significantly reduced. The
result, lower speeds and severe limits with high
loads and climbs," said Rantzau.
Technology around lithium is beneficial for
being so new that it will not be replaced anytime
soon and is posed to continue to advance as
time goes on. In addition, Colibri batteries have
permission by the German Federal Aviation Office
to be flown directly to clients around the globe,
ensuring quick delivery.
"Lithium battery technology and the supporting
electronic components evolve at a rapid pace and
our standard products are improved each year.
We are currently working with a number of major
GSE manufacturers to develop new battery packs
as those manufacturers increasingly move away
from diesel to electric GSE. In addition, we are
enhancing our software and data gathering so we
can deliver to customers better insight into their
fleets and operations," Rantzau elaborated. ■

AviationPros.com

http://www.AviationPros.com

Ground_Support_EMilitary_Winter_2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ground_Support_EMilitary_Winter_2019