Researchers rarely share their failures. This is problematic, as information about mistakes is also valuable. Universities tackles this issue in the mobile work machine sector.
Finland is at the forefront of large mobile work machinery in Europe. Now, an increasingly open operating culture is accelerating the sector's digital-green transition, believes Jari Vepsäläinen, an associate professor of mechatronics design at Aalto University.
According to Vepsäläinen, the current positive development is supported by the Academic Fellows initiative, which is a direct result of the Platform of Excellence network, originally kicked off at Tampere University. It fosters networking and collaboration among engineering professors from Aalto University and the universities of Lappeenranta, Oulu, Tampere, and Turku.
There is a growing demand for green technologies, especially in Europe. The EU aims to reduce its carbon emissions to as low as one-tenth of 1990 levels over the next fifteen years. Since mobile machinery is widely used in different industries, improvements in their productivity and energy efficiency can reduce emissions across various sectors.
The Academic Fellows initiative promotes this goal, among other things, through networking events. It also produces a roadmap that guides its activities. This helps Finnish universities generate research and education that meet the needs of businesses. Additionally, the roadmap keeps key industry players informed about each other's activities.
Turning Flaws into Insights
According to Vepsäläinen, openness, transparency, and networking accelerate scientific research related to mobile work machines. This progress is slower compared to that of passenger cars, for example.
Vepsäläinen explains that the development of work machines is constrained by numerous challenges. The equipment must endure harsh conditions, their tasks are complex, and they consume a lot of energy. Additionally, work machines are often used in remote areas where transporting heavy batteries is difficult.
Now the development of work machines is being accelerated by the openness of research. Vepsäläinen is especially pleased that failures are communicated among colleagues. He explains that mistakes advance science by helping to eliminate unfavorable options. It is in everyone's interest that researchers do not waste their energy repeating the same mistakes.
Rekindling the Old
The ideal of minimizing wasted energy is also evident in Vepsäläinen's research. His research is related to phase transition, which involves processes where alterations in pressure or temperature cause substances to change forms, such as ice melting.
Phase change has been effectively utilized for a long time, for example in heat pumps. However, in the development of mobile machinery, technologies related to phase change have so far received less attention.
According to Vepsäläinen, many technologies currently under extensive research have been maturing steadily over a long period. This gradual development is because the advancement of several technologies has only become critical with the electrification of work machines.
In diesel engines, wasted energy has been a minor issue. In contrast, the motors and batteries of electric machines are prone to overheating. Additionally, transporting electricity to remote areas is more challenging than transporting diesel.
New demands have prompted companies and researchers to consider new ideas, such as how to redirect the thermal energy from overheating batteries to other functions of the device or for heating the cabin.
This text is part of a series on the Mobile Machines Platform of Excellence (PoE) network, exploring six themes. The other five themes are autonomy and robotics, the new value of data, machine collaboration, intelligent control systems, and humans in the loop.
The themes are based on a roadmap developed by the SIX Mobile Work Machines cluster. The cluster is coordinated by Tamlink and includes Ponsse, Epec, Sandvik, Valmet Automotive, Valtra, Kalmar, Normet, Tana, Nokia, Danfoss, Junttan, Hevtec, Cargotec, VTT, and Tampere University.
The texts are part of an EAKR-funded project called the Twin transition of mobile work machines (SIX-PoE).
Jari Vepsäläinen's research at Aalto University focuses on computational and experimental studies in the design of mechatronic systems. He has also served as a visiting researcher at Stanford University in the United States.
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