Energy-efficient configuration and scheduling framework for electric construction machinery collaboration systems

Abstract

The electrification of construction machinery has created a perceptible future trend of the development of electric construction machinery collaboration systems (ECMCSs). However, there is a lack of research on energy-efficient operation of ECMCS. This paper proposes a theoretical configuration and scheduling framework promoting the applications of ECMCSs. In the configuration stage, this paper considers the effect of charging time and proposes an electric matching factor to achieve an optimal system configuration. In the scheduling stage, a multi-objective scheduling problem is formulated for achieving energy-efficient system operation, which considers the transport volume, cost and idle time. A validation of the framework was carried out using a case study that found the optimal system solution, while the advantages of the considered ECMCS compared to a fossil fuel-powered system were discussed. The impact of battery and charging technology developments was also assessed. This framework can be widely applied to deployment of ECMCSs.