Engineering
students and staff at the University of Birmingham have designed and built a
prototype hydrogen-powered locomotive, the first of its kind to operate in the
U.K.
This
narrow gauge locomotive is a hybrid design, combining a hydrogen fuel cell and
lead acid batteries similar to the ones used in cars. The fuel cell is used
both to power the permanent magnet electric motors and to charge the batteries,
with the batteries helping to meet the peak power demands when accelerating
under load.
Hydrogen
provides a clean source of energy and it offers a considerable extension in
range in comparison to battery only operation. Over 5,000 L of hydrogen are
stored in a solid-state metal hydride tank at relatively low pressure, with the
system typically operating at just 5 bar. This was achieved by using one of the
ten advanced hydrogen storage units successfully employed on the University’s
hydrogen-powered canal boat, the Ross Barlow.
This
amount of hydrogen would enable the locomotive to haul a 400-kg load up over 2,700
m, twice the height of Ben Nevis, and two additional tanks can be easily fitted
to further extend its range.
The
locomotive also features regenerative braking to capture, store, and re-use
braking energy, as well as adjustable air suspension and a highly advanced
touchscreen remote control that operates over a Wi-Fi link.
The
locomotive was tested at the Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire as
part of a competition led by the Institute of Mechanical Engineering. Stephen
Kent the team leader, says: “We are really pleased with the
locomotive, particularly as it managed to haul 4,000 kg, well over six times
the specified load.”
Stuart
Hillmansen, from the University of Birmingham’s School of Electronic,
Electrical, and Computer Engineering, faculty advisor to the team, says: “Our
hydrogen-powered locomotive is a clean and efficient example of how hydrogen
power could work for future trains on non-electrified routes. We hope that our
efforts will encourage the rail industry to take a closer look at this exciting
technology.”
Source: University of Birmingham
