Blog - Page 20 of 30 - Green Cubes Technology

Airport Industry Review: Li-Ion Batteries Offer Safe, Efficient, Green Power for eGSEs

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Press Officer

Jerry Crump, director of GSE business development at Green Cubes Technology, highlights the benefits of lithium-ion batteries for ground support equipment in airports.

Though electric ground support equipment (eGSE) is not a new technology on our airport ramps, it is constantly evolving and is not without challenges – particularly when it comes to implementing the energy needed for eGSE to effectively support airport operations.

Airlines, ground handling companies, and fixed-base operators can utilise new lithium-ion technologies, such as lithium iron phosphate, maximising the available power from their charging infrastructure to keep up with airline and airfield operations and the high power demand curve of certain eGSE’s – like cargo loaders and pushbacks.

Read the complete article in Airport Industry Review

Lead Acid – The Neurotoxic Rube Goldberg Machine of Energy Storage

Posted on October 30, 2021 by Press Officer

For both our employees and community, I want to address the health, safety, and environmental problems with Lead Acid. The single-biggest environmental issue with Lead-acid batteries involves the Lead component of the battery. Lead is a heavy metal with dangerous health impacts. Ingestion of Lead is especially dangerous for young children because their brains are still developing and Lead is a neurotoxin. Historically, sources included Leaded gasoline, Lead-based paints, and tin/Lead solder used in electronics manufacturing, pipes, and building construction, but those have largely been eliminated over the years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), today around 85% of the world’s Lead consumption is for the production of Lead Acid batteries.

To mitigate the risk of the toxic impact, the often-cited claim is that Lead-acid batteries are 99% recyclable. However, Lead exposure that takes place during the mining and processing of the Lead, as well as during the recycling steps is the very source of environmental contamination and human exposure. There are many places where the process is poorly controlled often carried out without the necessary processes and technologies to control Lead emissions.

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has written extensively on the case of Exide Technologies, a Lead-acid battery manufacturing company. Exide had to close down a large battery recycling plant in California after it failed to meet emission controls and waste management standards. California regulators believe as many as 10,000 homes could be contaminated with Lead from the plant. The cleanup will take many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. As a business, Exide has gone through multiple bankruptcies due the environmental impact cost of Lead. Battery recycling plants in other states have also been cited for contaminating the environment with Lead.

The WHO has reported cases where contamination from Lead-acid battery recycling resulted in a number of negative health effects — including the harm to children. Thus, while the 99% recycling claim sounds impressive, it understates the problem of Lead contamination via the recycling process. The situation would be much worse if these batteries are not recycled, as a single Lead acid battery in a landfill has the potential to contaminate a large area and cause harm to thousands of people. The health, safety, and environmental risk of Lead recycling far outweighs the benefit, particularly now that Lithium offers a clean, safe, and cost-effective alternative. From a productivity point of view, distribution centers that use electric lift trucks go through so many complicated steps to make Lead Acid work, including:

Battery change rooms
Extra batteries needed to support high volume operations
Safety equipment for acid spills (spill kits, eye wash, protective clothing and PPE)
Blood testing of employees for Lead poisoning
Watering
Equalizing
Fumes
Long charge times, waiting, and down time
Maintenance on the added equipment and process steps
Inaccurate fuel gauges and unknown cycle life due to deep discharge effects

With our customers, this means providing clean reliable energy storage and motive power for industrial applications. The complexity of the process to make Lead Acid batteries work would make any Rube Goldberg Machine maker proud. This “machine” concept is named after the American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, whose cartoons 100 years ago often depicted devices that performed simple tasks in indirect convoluted ways. It’s well past time for Lead Acid to have a place in the real world of industrial energy storage and motive power applications. It’s time to get the Lead out of batteries and the contamination of our environment from the Lead recycling process. It’s time to move to Lithium SafeFlex and the opportunity to realize the benefits of clean, reliable, innovation.

Keith Washington – CEO

As Seen in EE Power! DC Power Considerations for 5G Systems

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Press Officer

As 5G continues its rollout, there are many considerations for configuring optimum DC power systems that are crucial for 5G’s infrastructure success. In this article, our John Ely, discusses how highly reliable, robust and scalable DC power systems are required to solve complex power challenges. Click on the EE Power logo to read the full article.

Find out more about our solutions in our Telecom/Datacom brochure.

AviationPros: Green Achievements in GSE

Posted on October 19, 2021February 11, 2025 by Press Officer

As several factors across the industry are driving the adoption of electric ground support equipment, many manufacturers are finding success within this segment.

The FAA recently awarded more than $20 million in grants to reduce emissions and improve air quality at airports across the country.

The awards are intended to fund zero-emission airport vehicles as well as electric charging infrastructure and aim to electrify ground support equipment (GSE).

This funding is among the latest initiatives prompting the adoption of electric ground support equipment (eGSE). Environmental goals established by governments, industry organizations, airports, airlines, and individual ground service providers are also lending themselves to eGSE.

With a focus on reducing ground emissions on the ramp, many manufacturers across the market are finding solutions to benefit the GSE industry.

Read the complete article in AviationPros

Airside International: An Emissions-Free Option for Powering GSE

Posted on October 4, 2021 by Press Officer

Green Cubes Technology supplies lithium-based power systems for GSE, an alternative to both diesel engines with their damaging emissions, and lead acid battery systems. Jerry Crump, director of business development, explains the benefits.

Read the inteview in Airside International

Patent Awarded for Green Cubes Technology’s Multi-cell Battery Management Device

Posted on September 8, 2021September 25, 2025 by Press Officer

Green Cubes Technology (Green Cubes), the leader in producing Lithium-ion (Li-ion) power systems that facilitate the transition from lead acid batteries and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) power to green Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery power, today announced the patent award for a multi-cell management device for Li-ion batteries. This patent is relevant to industrial motive battery applications, such as material handling and ground support aviation equipment.

These demanding applications require large battery arrays with many Li-ion cells in series and parallel in order to achieve high power and capacity for multi-shift usage. The electronics managing the battery’s communication and safety must enable a robust design that will last for thousands of cycles over many years in harsh conditions.

lithium-battery_nb — With this multi-cell management device, each cell is monitored with a Battery Management Systems (BMS) that measures the voltage of each serial connected cell.

Battery packs consisting of multiple cell lithium batteries can become unstable as the individual cells age and the voltage output from each cell begins to vary with respect to other cells during operation. Balancing the output of individual cells ensures safe operation of the battery system and improves the performance and life expectancy of multi-cell battery packs. With this multi-cell management device, each cell is monitored with a Battery Management Systems (BMS) that measures the voltage of each serial connected cell. Active power control functions balance cell voltage output during charging and discharging operation. With this technology, the elimination of wires and connections to each cell significantly reduces wiring costs and system complexity. The inventors named on patent 11,063,445 are Anthony Cooper of Kokomo, IN, USA and Vasanth Mithilacody of Bangalore, India. For a full description of the patent, read more here.

“Our customers demand the reliability and performance in very demanding use profiles,” said Robin Schneider, Director of Marketing, of Green Cubes. “This new generation BMS with robust cell balancing is designed to last the life of a forklift and is based on a decade of experience and engineering”

As a leader motive power, Green Cubes continues to invent new and better technology. The latest innovations offered in their motive Li-ion batteries include features such as multi-voltage fast charging, dual CANbus communication, and wireless IoT features in addition to continuous improvements such as this new generation BMS with cell balancing for improved reliability.

Green Cubes (formerly branded as UNIPOWER) to Exhibit at Battcon 2021

Posted on September 3, 2021February 11, 2025 by Press Officer

Green Cubes will be exhibiting at Battcon 2021, November 2-5 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida!

Battcon is an educational venue where users, engineers and manufacturers stay up-to-date by learning of the latest industry trends and how to apply best practices to the manufacturing, safety, selection, installation, and use of stationary batteries.

The core conference provides an intense learning experience. Presentations include cutting edge topics delivered by industry leading authorities. Open discussion panels and breakout workshops geared to the utility, data center. and telecom segments are also included in the conference.

Data center, telecom or utility industry professionals who are working in mission critical facilities or are involved in the development of stationary batteries and related equipment will find the Battcon experience is second to none.

EVA International: Interview with Jerry Crump here: Jerry Crump, Director of Business Development – GSE is interviewed by Chris Notter of EVA International

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Press Officer

Jerry has been in the industry for 22 years, 13 years of that has been adapting fleets to E-GSE. In the interview they cover a number of topics including; how Lithium batteries for GSE can power a fleet with long-lasting, reliable power, airport Infrastructure hurdles, GSE issues post covid, the need for Airports, Operators, Energy Companies & GSE providers to collaborate, zero emission ramps, People – Profit – Planet, Carbon footprint reductions and Sustainability.

You can listen to the Podcast here or watch the full interview on YouTube.

Green Cubes Technology Appoints Power Industry Veteran as Chief Operating Officer

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Press Officer

KOKOMO, INDIANA July 21, 2021 – Green Cubes Technology (Green Cubes), the leader in producing Lithium-ion (Li-ion) power systems that facilitate the transition from lead acid batteries and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) power to green Li-ion battery power, appointed Ken Johnson as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the company. Mr. Johnson reports to Keith Washington, President and CEO of Green Cubes, supporting all business units and operations.

Mr. Johnson provides leadership to supply chain, operations, and manufacturing roles to build processes for continued growth for Green Cubes within Telecom, Materials Handling, and Industrial Automation markets. Mr. Johnson will manage Green Cube’s production facilities in Malaysia, Slovakia, Kokomo (Indiana), and Dunlap (Tennessee).

“Ken has led both domestic and international operations and supply chains through new product introduction, lean transformations, inventory reductions and overall working capital improvement,” said Mr. Washington. “I am confident his experience and focused vision will help Green Cubes successfully execute its continued growth within strategic markets and geographic locations.”

Mr. Johnson has a history of success in energy storage and power electronics technology as an operations leader with a demonstrated track record of success in these markets, spending over 25 years in global manufacturing and supply chain with companies such as IBM, Danaher, Eaton and Active Power. The range of products manufactured under Mr. Johnson’s supervision includes personal computers, motors, DC power systems and single phase/three phase complex Uninterruptable Power System (UPS). Mr. Johnson graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degree from Texas A&M in Industrial Engineering.

Design World: MultiVoltage Lithium Batteries Target Material Handling Equipment

Posted on July 16, 2021February 11, 2025 by Press Officer

Patent-pending MultiVoltage technology enables the battery to charge at double its output voltage, which cuts charging time in half and makes opportunity charging a more accessible option with simplicity and ease of use for the operator.

Patent-pending MultiVoltage technology enables charging at double the batteries’ output voltage, halving the charge time and increasing productivity. Applicable to the material handling market, Green Cubes Technology’s MultiVoltage battery completes a full charge in less than one hour and is offered in 24/48 V, 36/72 V, and 48/96 V combinations.

Green Cubes has deployed over 200 MultiVoltage batteries across these three different voltage combinations. It is common for high use and high capacity batteries, such as a large 48-V battery, to be charged with two cables to increase the charge current. The MultiVoltage battery utilizes single connector 4/0 cabling in a charge port configuration, which delivers cost efficiencies and minimizes the chance of cable damage over traditional fast charging with dual cables. In addition, due to the lower insertion and extraction forces of the single connector equipment, operators appreciate the MultiVoltage systems over their dual cable counterparts.

“The ability to opportunity charge is a key feature of Li-ion batteries’ value proposition for material handling equipment,” said Anthony Cooper, General Manager of Green Cubes’ Motive Group. “MultiVoltage SAFEFlex batteries accommodate an even faster charging time which widens the performance gap between Li-ion and Lead Acid Batteries. Our class 2, 36-V products, have been extremely popular for Reach Trucks because they are very highly utilized and recognize the benefits.”

Other than the battery configuration itself, the MultiVoltage battery uses standard chargers and requires no changes to the equipment. Lithium SAFEFlex is the integration of lithium-iron=phosphate cells, electronics, packaging, and a software platform that was designed specifically for the rugged requirements of material handling. The advanced mechanical packaging meets the impact forces of a large forklift and the rugged automotive-grade Battery Management System (BMS) makes Lithium SAFEFlex the most reliable lithium battery for the material handling industry. With MultiVoltage technology, a quick coffee or lunch break can be used to charge a battery, keeping material handling equipment in full utilization.

See the original news article in Design World