Examining the influence of battery sizing on hydrogen fuel cell/battery hybrid rail powertrains (Hydrail) for regional passenger railway transport using dynamic component models

To address North American climate change problems, passenger rail offers one solution. However, it typically uses diesel motive power, which can cause health problems. Overhead and/or third rail infrastructure costs often preclude electrification. We examined hydrogen fuel cell/battery hybrid (Hydrail) railway propulsion systems using dynamic simulations as opposed to existing simulations in the literature which rely on static efficiency values. A British Rail Class 156 diesel multiple unit round trip is simulated using a series-hybrid architecture powertrain. Incremental battery masses were used to assess impact on fuel cell size, efficiency, maximum power, and overall hydrogen consumption. Battery mass is employed as a proxy for power and energy capability of the battery. Results suggest that passenger Hydrail systems work well, with hydrogen fuel cells handling most load dynamics. Hybridization with batteries works best and reduces fuel cell stack size and hydrogen consumption, with overall 64% stack efficiency.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author