International Railway Journal - September 2008 - (Page 40)

Innovative trains Fuel cells make their rail debut Fuel cells hold out the prospect of a clean, quiet, efficient, and almost pollution-free means of powering trains. Although the technology is still being perfected, the first prototype trains are starting to appear, as Elizabeth Morgan* explains. T switch to hydrogen fuel cells would reduce CO2 emissions by 30% and cut energy consumption by up to 50%, compared with diesel-fuelled vehicles. A study by the World Health Organisation found that three million people die each year from diseases related to poor air quality. A separate study by Prof David Pimentel of Cornell University, United States, says an estimated 62 million deaths per year (40% of all deaths that occur) are related to environmental factors, particularly chemical pollutants in the air and water. Making the transition to fuel cells would also eliminate the expensive catenary infrastructure used today. Although the cost of electrifying a railway varies depending on track length, a project from Mass Electric Construction, United States, estimated an average cost of $US 1.86 million/km. HE idea of hydrogen-powered locomotives is not new. The topic was explored in the 1970s but ultimately dismissed 20 years later due to diminishing developer interest and the reality that the technology just wasn’t ready. Today the application is being revisited due to technical advances and increasing economic and environmental pressures. More than 60% of railways globally are dependent on diesel fuel, according to a 2006 study by the Hydrogen Innovation and Research Centre, Denmark. With oil prices climbing at an alarming rate, and an increasing drive to reduce harmful diesel engine pollutants, many industry leaders are looking to hydrogen fuel cells to steer the transport industry away from its dependence on oil. The concept of hydrogen-powered rail, or hydrail, is generating renewed international interest due to its ability to provide clean, efficient energy. So what are fuel cells and how do they power locomotives and trains? A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as its by-product. As long as fuel is supplied, the fuel cell will continue to generate power. Since the conversion of the fuel to energy takes place via an electrochemical process rather than combustion, the process is clean, quiet and inherently more efficient than burning fuel. Fuel cell-powered trains running on hydrogen would have a number of advantages over traditional diesel and electric powered trains. Fuel cells have the potential for a very long life since they have few moving parts, no intricate emissions control system, and a much simpler construction than diesel engines. Arguably the biggest advantage that fuel cells have is their benefit to the environment, since fuel cells have low to zero emissions. Research from Japan’s Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) found that making the Successful tests Although hydrail is still in development, several smaller fuel cellpowered locomotives and trains have been successfully tested. The first hydrail prototype was a fuel cellpowered mining locomotive developed by the US Department of Energy in conjunction with Vehicles Projects and the Fuel Cell Propulsion Institute. The prototype was developed as an alternative to conventional mining technology, which typically uses battery-electric or diesel-fuelled mining vehicles. Fuel cell-powered locomotives are *Elizabeth Morgan is a research assistant for Fuel Cells 2000 (www.fuelcells.org), an activity of the Breakthrough Technologies Institute (BTI), a non-profit, educational organisation that identifies and promotes environmental and energy technologies. A Nuvera fuel cell installed in RTRI’s test train. 40 IRJ September 2008 http://www.fuelcells.org

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International Railway Journal - September 2008 Contents This Month News Transit News Market News News Analysis Paris Prepares for the Spacium Age EMD Plans New Route for Class 66 Fuel Cells Make Their Rail Debut Desiro ML Bucks the Trend for Articulation Green Train Shows Swedish Technology InnoTrans Preview DB For Sale- An IRJ Analysis Rubin Finally Enters Service in Nuremberg Motorists Should 'See Red' Less Risks are Rising for Africa's Private Operators Technology to the Rescue Rendezvous Full Contact List Advertisers Index The Last Word

International Railway Journal - September 2008

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