2024-04-03 22:00:00
On September 16, 2018, in the Lower Saxony region of Germany, the world’s first two hydrogen trains for passenger transport were put into commercial service. These trains are the Coradia iLint developed by Alstom. In February 2020, after more than 180,000 km traveled by these pre-series models, the pilot phase was successfully completed. Several regions of Germany have validated their orders and in 2023, around forty iLint trains will be running or in production.
The enthusiasm for these trains is driven by the current dynamic around hydrogen, an energy vector presented as an essential lever for the energy transition. This dynamic is on a global scale and all railway manufacturers have embarked on the development of these hydrogen trains.
Thus, in Europe, hydrogen trains are expected in France, Italy, Austria and the United Kingdom by 2025. China, South Korea, Japan and California have also announced their upcoming entry into circulation. .
Two technologies complement each other today: hydrogen trains for long-range needs and battery trains for shorter needs connected to electrical power infrastructures.
In hydrogen trains, the energy supply is provided by a hydrogen fuel cell. This converts the chemical energy of hydrogen into electrical energy and only releases water.
Hydrogen fuel cells cannot operate alone and are systematically associated with a current-reversible electrochemical energy source, such as a lithium-ion battery. The role of the latter is essential since it makes it possible to supplement the power of hydrogen fuel cells and reduce hydrogen consumption. A control system is necessary to judiciously distribute energy between these two sources.
Thus, when sizing the hydrogen train, the railway manufacturer must determine the characteristics of each source and the associated energy management strategy. This complex process requires simultaneously considering numerous criteria such as hydrogen consumption, the efficiency of the sources and their lifespan while respecting constraints linked to their size and the dynamic performance of the train.
Due to the characteristics of hydrogen such as its density, its storage must be done at high pressure (350 bar for example) to limit the volume of the storage systems and it requires specific filling installations. These stations must in particular adapt to a set of parameters to optimize filling times and limit costs.
The use of hydrogen as a new energy embedded in trains makes it possible to reduce emissions compared to diesel trains but leads to increased complexity of the on-board architecture as well as the use of new components whose lifespan is not not yet optimized.
In addition, increasing energy costs require careful management of energy production and use on board.
1712604087
#Hydrogen #rail #traction #Complete #file