The FCH2Rail project, which is developing a bimodal hydrogen fuel cell demonstration train, has reached an important milestone by obtaining authorisation for test runs on the Spanish rail network and completing the first of the planned routes with the arrival of the unit at Canfranc station in the Aragonese Pyrenees. The demonstration train is the first hydrogen train to reach this milestone. This is a particular highlight, as the Canfranc line is a particularly demanding route due to its steep and high gradients, which pose a major challenge for the new power generation systems. To this end, the demonstration train, a Civia commuter unit from Renfe, travelled on the Zaragoza-Canfranc line both in electric mode in the electrified section and in hybrid mode with a combination of hydrogen fuel cells and batteries in the non-electrified sections.
FCH2RAIL
A new test phase is currently underway on the line with the aim of testing the new technology in a wide range of power and energy demand conditions, simulating different commercial services. To this end, the train will be used on various routes of the Spanish railway network, mainly on lines in Aragon, Madrid and Galicia. The test scenarios will include journeys under different climatic and operational conditions. This will allow a more comprehensive characterisation of the new on-board technology in order to subsequently assess the competitiveness of the new bimode hybrid propulsion solution with hydrogen fuel cells as a sustainable alternative to diesel traction, which is currently used on many routes.
The FCH2Rail project is being carried out by a consortium of companies comprising CAF, DLR, Toyota, Renfe, Adif, CNH2, IP and Stemmann-Technik. The demonstration train is based on an existing Renfe commuter train in which CAF has installed a new power generation system that hybridises the energy from hydrogen fuel cells and batteries. This new power generation system was integrated into the vehicle's existing drive system. After the static test phase at the CAF plant in Zaragoza and the first hydrogen refuelling, the dynamic tests on a closed route began in mid-2022, which served to optimise the new propulsion system before the current test phase on representative routes of the Spanish rail network. The start of this new test phase meant the first authorisation from Adif for the test operation of a hydrogen train on the Spanish railway infrastructure, passing all the risk analyses and safety validations associated with the testing of new technologies. At the same time, Renfe's train drivers and train managers were trained to drive the CIVIA, which had been converted into a bimodal hydrogen train.
The success in the development of this project confirms and strengthens the commitment of the companies that make up the FCH2Rail consortium to the development of environmentally friendly mobility solutions. Likewise, in this test phase, the project counts on the invaluable collaboration of companies such as IBERDROLA for the supply of green hydrogen for the train tests, SHIE-ARPA, which provides a high-pressure hydrogen dosing solution, and Ercros, a manufacturer of green H2 for mobility applications, which has enabled the use of its facilities in Sabiñanigo during the test phase between Sabiñanigo and Canfranc.
Our motivation
Half of the railway lines in the European Union are electrified and already enable emission-free local transport. Diesel-powered trains are used on the remaining sections of track. In the EU project FCH2RAIL (Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Pack for Rail Applications), the consortium is developing and testing a new type of train prototype with partners from Belgium, Germany, Spain and Portugal: the centrepiece of the project is a hybrid, bimodal drive that combines the electrical energy supply from the overhead line with an overhead line-independent hybrid power pack consisting of fuel cells and batteries.
Overhead line and hybrid system: bimodal, emission-free travelling
The basic idea: where energy is available from the overhead line, the train continues its journey with it. Where there are no overhead lines, the energy comes from the fuel cell battery system, the "Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Pack".
We want to show that such a bimodal power pack is a competitive and environmentally friendly alternative to diesel propulsion
Throughout Europe, more and more railway lines are being electrified, i.e. equipped with overhead lines. This is a very expensive and lengthy project that always depends on local geographical conditions. Purely battery-powered trains have a limited range of 30 to 70 kilometres, depending on the route profile and outside temperatures. Today's diesel trains have limitations in terms of speed and acceleration compared to overhead line-powered vehicles. "Our bimodal fuel cell battery system combines the advantages of both technologies. This allows us to make rail transport even more sustainable and energy-efficient," says Eva Terron, Technical Project Manager at Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), summarising the main objective of the project.
With a budget of 14 million euros, the project aims to develop, demonstrate and approve such a system within the next four years. The project is funded with 10 million euros by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH 2 JU now Clean Hydrogen Partnership).
Scalable drive unit for efficient production
The energy supply system should be designed in such a way that the performance and range can be expanded according to a modular principle: The number of fuel cell and battery modules influences the drive power, while the number of hydrogen tanks determines the range on non-electrified routes. In this way, the drive unit can be designed for use in both passenger and freight transport. This design also makes it possible to produce the required components in larger quantities and therefore more cost-effectively.
Put on track: Functional tests with converted commuter train
Which railway lines are suitable for trial runs in Spain and Portugal? And what are the environmental impacts of such a system, from its production, to its use, up to its disposal? To answer these question in a test under real conditions, it is planned to convert a CIVIA electric commuter train from the Spanish manufacturer CAF and to integrate a fuel cell hybrid power pack. The Spanish state railway company Renfe Operadora is providing the train. The central components are fuel cell systems from Toyota Motor Europe (TME). Initial functional tests and trial runs for approval are to take place on Spanish and Portuguese tracks with the support of the infrastructure managers Administrador de Infrastructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF) and Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP). The Spanish hydrogen research centre Centro National de Hidrogeno (CNH2) has been entrusted with the construction of a hydrogen fuelling station to refuel the prototype.
Designing and controlling the system, energy management and homologation
Up until the first trial runs, the international project team still has a number of technological challenges to solve: For the design, fuel cell and battery modules must be combined and controlled in such a way that the system meets all requirements and can be implemented cost-effectively at the same time. In addition, it should be possible to use the waste heat from the fuel cell as cleverly as possible to heat and air-condition the train. The air conditioning manufacturer Faiveley / Stemmann Technik (STT) and DLR are investigating innovative solutions for reducing the energy demand for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) as part of the project. In addition Stemmann analyses the interaction of the pantograph system with hydrogen systems.
Another critical issue is the safe interaction of hydrogen technology and overhead catenary at all times: This is because hydrogen is a highly volatile and reactive gas, and overhead catenaries can occasionally cause a spark. The project therefore examines norms and standards in the fields of hydrogen and rail transport and attempts to bring the two together. Based on this, the project team is developing proposals for approval authorities so that such trains can be approved more easily across the EU in the near future.
Duration
01/2021 - 12/2024
Partners
FCH2RAIL