2,803 Kilometres on a Single Tank of Hydrogen Where Will the Next Technological Advances Take Us?
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HYDROGEN
with partners for systems not in our scope-
with generation, logistics or refueling.
We started implementing hydrogen systems into our
trains in 2019. The challenges on the vehicle side are
manageable and our vehicle is in commercial operation.
The bottle neck is still in the hydrogen availability
and price. This is where train operators need additional
stakeholders for the energy infrastructure. Individual
elements like electrolysers, logistics, refueling stations
or systems for trains exist, however harmonising
the timeframes of the stakeholders for the new fleet
is where we see a lot of friction and uncertainties.
Also, the bureaucracy regarding approvals is reflecting
the silos, which hinders agile project development
for all involved stakeholders. It is a multi-stakeholder
management topic, as the energy system is changing.
The record-breaking range of 2,803 km
without refuelling is an extraordinary achievement.
How did you achieve it?
Two factors are key: sufficient capacity and an energy
efficient traction chain – from the fuel cell to the wheel.
Energy management was adapted to the parallel hybrid
traction chain with batteries and fuel cells, based on
the existing hybrid know-how that Stadler has built
over the century. The record was a relevant type test
to validate the systems together with the software
in the original configuration. Therefore,there was no
adaptation specific to the test and the real performance
could be proven.
What were the most significant technological
improvements and lessons learned from operating
the FLIRT H
2
in Colorado?
The time we spent at the test ring was valuable
for the validation of the system in various operating
scenarios. Furthermore, we could optimise the software
and create evidence for the homologation of the train
with a focus on safety, optimisation and reliability. We
see the innovation in the integration of the various
systems in the train. For Stadler, it is not about marketing
values at a component level, but about creating a train
where both the passenger and the customer get
performance and comfort in a seamless way. How you
engineer and build the train is what makes or breaks
the technology applied.
Fuel cells are among the most critical and sensitive
components of a hydrogen propulsion system. What
operating lifetimes do modern systems achieve
today in terms of hours or kilometres, and what are
the main factors affecting their degradation?
Purity of the hydrogen is relevant for the reliability
of the fuel cell. This is not self-evident yet and needs
to be ensured at the point of refueling.
The load cycle plays a significant role
for the degradation of the fuel cell. This is a general
learning area in the railway industry, as fuel cells are
implemented in a limited number of fleets for less
than a decade. The design of the parallel hybrid
was specifically tailored to the fuel cell capabilities
and the performance the vehicle needs to fulfill
the time tables our customer requested.
The system design on train level influences
the availability of the train and the maintenance cost.
With a clever redundancy and hybrid system we
can optimise both lifetime and availability. Lifetime
and maintenance schedules are contract specific
and not public. They are incorporated in the already
established balanced maintenance schemes, where
a split into preventive, condition based and corrective
maintenance tasks ensure availability of the vehicle
and plannable cost over the lifetime of the train.
Where is Stadler currently looking for the next
technological breakthrough? Which innovations
in zero-emission rail transport do you believe will
reshape the market in the coming years, even if they
are not yet widely available to customers?
We see the applicability of hydrogen combustion
engines, as we showcase with our RS Zero train-
design. The application of combustion engines are
well known and established with existing spare parts
and supply chain and maintenance management
capabilities. Combustion engines can tolerate
impurities in hydrogen and therefore use whatever
hydrogen is available to avoid downtime of the fleet
in case of hydrogen supply chain disruptions Flexibility
in how an ecosystem is built – with local electrolysers,
pipelines or other sources, as well as with different
refueling station designs are key and we work
with partners to achieve this.
The way a train is designed and built
is what decides the success or failure
of the technology.