(Torralba / Spain) – The prototype of Spain's first hydrogen train goes into trial operation. The three-part multiple unit draws its traction power either from the overhead line or from its on-board fuel cell system. This means that the vehicle can also use railway lines without contact wires electrically. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) coordinates the “FCH2Rail” joint project.
On electrified railway lines, the multiple unit gets its electricity from the overhead line. In sections without contact wire, fuel cells and batteries provide the electricity. © Adif
The background is that less frequented intercity and branch lines are often not equipped with overhead lines at all or only partially. Locomotives and multiple units therefore run on diesel. Those involved in the project from industry and research have now developed the new hybrid drive to enable climate-friendly, continuous rail transport between the city and the surrounding area. “The FCH2Rail train is a demonstrator of the innovative drive concept. We want to show that the bi-mode hybrid drive is a competitive and efficient solution for sustainable rail transport,” explains Holger Dittus from the DLR Institute for Vehicle Concepts, who is leading the project. The hydrogen train has now reached the technology readiness level “level seven”. In November, the Spanish rail infrastructure operator Adif approved test runs on the Torralba-Soria route.
The Spanish state railway company Renfe has provided a three-part electric multiple unit from the CIVIA series for the FCH2Rail project. At the CAF factory, the train was equipped with fuel cells from Toyota Motor Europe. © CAF
The engineers could now gain practical experience and test the drive under various conditions. For this purpose, different commercial driving services in local and long-distance transport would be simulated. “The test drives help us to evaluate and improve the drive performance and to holistically characterize the train’s energy supply,” emphasizes Holger Dittus.
The focus is on the energy management of the fuel cell battery system. Different uses of the hydrogen train meant different operating conditions. When used as an S-Bahn, for example, the train has to constantly start and brake; on flat intercity routes, the energy requirement is lower than in mountainous areas.
On downhill stretches, the traction motors act like a dynamo to recharge the batteries. These served as buffer storage for high drive power, for example when accelerating or driving uphill. Green hydrogen is used for the fuel cells.
220 kilometers with mixed power supply
Already on the first overland journey from Zaragoza to Canfranc, the more than 220 kilometer long route was on mixed power supply. The train had to climb a good 1.000 meters in altitude, a steep mountain route with tight curves and an incline of up to 20 per mille without overhead lines. “When changing sections of route with and without overhead lines, we were able to optimize the switching of the power supply between the contact wire and the battery fuel cell system,” says Holger Dittus.
The train completed its first long-distance journey on the 220 kilometer route from Zaragoza to Canfranc in the Pyrenees. © CAF
The Spanish state railway company Renfe provided the three-part electric multiple unit. The vehicle has 170 seats, is 65 meters long, weighs a good 100 tons and has a speed of 120 kilometers per hour. At the plant of the Spanish rail vehicle manufacturer CAF, the train was equipped with fuel cells from Toyota Motor Europe. The vehicle drivers had been trained by Renfe to travel on the bimodal hydrogen train. Tests on closed routes began in mid-2022.
Seven other partners from industry and research are involved in “FCH2Rail” (Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Pack for rail applications), with DLR as project coordinator: from Spain, the railway company Renfe, the rail vehicle manufacturer CAF, the infrastructure operator Adif and the research center for hydrogen CNH2; from Portugal the infrastructure operator Infraestruturas de Portugal and from Belgium and Germany Toyota Motor Europe.
The European Commission's Clean Hydrogen Partnership agency, which promotes the development of hydrogen and fuel cells, is supporting the four-year project with ten million euros. The industrial partners involved have invested a further four million euros.
A project description about “FCH2Rail” is available in English PDF.
Photos
On partially electrified lines or railway lines without overhead lines, hydrogen technology enables emission-free train traffic. © CAF
