Hydrogen And Electric Propulsion Compared
Stadler have given us an interesting way of comparing the range and other properties of hydrogen-powered and battery-electric trains, as their Flirt H2 and Akku trains have both set Guinness World Records for distance travelled.
The Hydrogen-Powered Flirt-H2
In Stadler’s FLIRT H2 Sets World Record For Hydrogen Powered Train, I write about how a Stadler Flirt-H2 had set a record of 2803 kilometres, without refilling.
This page on the Stadler web site gives details of the Flirt-H2.
- Hydrogen Range – 460 km.
- Operating Speed – 127 kph
- Refuelling Time – < 30 minutes
- Seats – 116
This graphic clipped from the Stadler web site shows the Flirt-H2.
Like Greater Anglia’s Class 755 train, it has a PowerPack in the middle, which contains a fuel cell and the hydrogen tank, instead of the Class 755 train’s diesel engines.
The Battery-Electric Akku
In Flirt Akku And Class 755 Train Compared, I compare a Flirt Akku and Greater Anglia’s Class 755 train, after the battery-electric Akku had set a record of 224 kilometres, with recharging.
This page on the Stadler web site gives details of the Flirt Akku.
- Battery Range – 150 km
- Operating Speed – 160 kph
- Chrging Time – 15 minutes
- Seats – 120-180
This graphic clipped from the Stadler web site shows the Flirt Akku.
At a quick glance, the trains seem to be fairly similar, with the exception of the PowerPack.
- Both have regenerative braking.
- Both have the battery and the power converter on the roof.
- I would expect that the Flirt-H2 could be fitted with a pantograph and a transformer.
- Both trains have two passenger carriages.
I also suspect, both trains can be lengthened by adding extra coaches.
These are my thoughts.
Thoughts On The PowerPack In A Flirt-H2
This picture shows the PowerPark car of a Class 755 train.
Note.
- These PowerPacks have slots for up to four 480 Kw diesel engines.
- PowerPacks on a Class 788/4 train with four diesel engines weighs 27.9 tonnes.
- PowerPacks on a Class 788/3 train has two diesel engines.
- In the UK, trains with PowerPacks have up to four passenger cars.
- The PowerPack has a walkway from one end of the car to the other.
As customers, might like to replace their diesel PowerPacks, with something that was zero-carbon, I would expect, that the hydrogen PowerPack would have the following properties.
- Hydrogen and diesel PowerPacks would be interchangeable.
- The hydrogen PowerPack would come in two handy sizes of hydrogen fuel cell; 0ne and two MW.
- The weight of both hydrogen and diesel PowerPacks would be similar, as if power and weight were similar, then this could help certification.
- The Flirt-H2 for California, which would only have two passenger cars, would have the smaller hydrogen fuel cell.
I would expect that a conservative designer would use any spare space for hydrogen storage.
- Perhaps, there would be one tank either side of the walkway.
- The quoted range of 450 kilometres for the Flirt-H2 is just under 300 miles, so it would probably cover most regional round trips in Europe without refuelling.
- On many routes refuelling would only need to be done once-per-day.
- Refuelling can be some distance from operation.
- Large tanks would explain the thirty minutes refuelling time.
Obviously, large tanks have the collateral benefit of setting distance records.
The Kinetic Energy Of A Flirt-H2 Train
In My First Rides In A Class 755 Train, I calculated the kinetic energy of a Class 755/4 train.
I said this.
I will use my standard calculation.
The basic train weight is 114.3 tonnes.
If each of the 229 passengers weighs 90 kg with Baggage, bikes and buggies, this gives a passenger weight of 20.34 tonnes.
This gives a total weight of 134.64 tonnes.
Using Omni’s Kinetic Energy Calculator gives these figures for the Kinetic energy.
- 60 mph – 13.5 kWh
- 100 mph – 37.4 kWh
- 125 mph – 58.4 kWh
If we are talking about the Greater Anglia Class 755 train, which will be limited to 100 mph, this leads me to believe, that by replacing one diesel engine with a plug compatible battery of sufficient size, the following is possible.
- On all routes, regenerative braking will be available under both diesel and electric power.
- Some shorter routes could be run on battery power, with charging using existing electrification.
- Depot and other short movements could be performed under battery power.
The South Wales Metro has already ordered tri-mode Flirts, that look like Class 755 trains.
The calculation for a Flirt-H2 train is as follows.
Train Weight – 82.3 tonnes
Passenger Weight – 10.4 tonnes
Total Weight – 92.7 tonnes
This gives these kinetic energies
- 60 mph – 9.3 kWh
- 79 mph – 16.0 kWh
- 100 mph – 25.7 kWh
It looks like the 79 mph; Flirt-H2 would only need a 16 KWh battery.
It seems when a battery is not for traction and only handles the regenerative braking, it can be surprisingly small.
Mathematical Advantages Of Hydrogen
I do wonder that on balance, there may be mathematical advantages to hydrogen; long range, less frequent refuelling and small batteries.
But as I indicated in Zillertalbahn Hydrogen Plan Dropped In Favour Of Battery Traction, the decision doesn’t always go hydrogen’s way!
Conclusion
I feel Stadler have the right approach of a modular concept that incorporates both hydrogen-powered and battery-electric trains.
I also think, if you have a route, you want to decarbonise, Stadler have the train for you.
Zillertalbahn Hydrogen Plan Dropped In Favour Of Battery Traction
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
I wrote about this order in Zillertalbahn Orders Stadler Hydrogen-Powered Trains.
I didn’t blog about it but I remembered an article a few years ago about Stadler getting an order from the Zillertalbahn.
It appears the change is down to improvements in battery technology.
Narrow-gauge battery-electric multiple units must be right up Stadler’s street, as they built the new trains for the narrow gauge Glasgow Subway.
Fortescue Officially Opens Gladstone Electrolyser Facility
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Fortescue.
This is the sub-heading.
Fortescue has today officially opened its world-leading electrolyser manufacturing facility in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia – one of the first globally to house an automated assembly line.
The first two paragraphs add more detail.
Fortescue has today officially opened its world-leading electrolyser manufacturing facility in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia – one of the first globally to house an automated assembly line.
The 15,000sqm advanced manufacturing facility, constructed and fully commissioned in just over 2 years, will have capacity to produce over 2GW of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyser stacks annually.
This is a very large increase in electrolyser production.
Network Rail Prepares To Send Four Trains A Night Through Suffolk To Sizewell
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the East Anglian Daily Times.
These are the first two paragraphs.
There will be improvements to the East Suffolk Line between Ipswich and Saxmundham and to the little-used Leiston branch line which will become busier with up to four trains a night carrying construction materials to the Sizewell C site.
However there are no plans at present to create a new passing loop at Wickham Market which would be needed to allow construction trains to travel by day so most of these trains will have to use the line at night.
Note.
- Trains access the Sizewell site from Saxmundham junction on the East Suffolk Line.
- Between Saxmundham and Halesworth stations is double track.
- With the exception of a passing loop at Beccles station between Halesworth and Lowestoft stations is single track.
- Saxmundham junction and Lowestoft station is 26.2 miles.
- Between Saxmundham and Woodbridge stations is mainly single track.
- Between Woodbridge and Ipswich stations is double track.
- Saxmundham junction and Ipswich station is 22.8 miles.
It is a classic line, that was partly singled by British Rail to try and cut operating costs.
A passing loop at Wickham Market could make operation of the line easier.
- The last train in the evening leaves Saxmundham station at around 23:00 for Lowestoft.
- The first train in the morning leaves Saxmundham station at around 06:00 for Ipswich and Harwich International.
This would give a seven hour window in which to move four trains out of the Sizewell site and four trains in.
This OpenRailwayMap shows Ipswich Yard which is a set of freight sidings to the North of Ipswich station.
Note.
- The orange tracks are the Great Eastern Main Line.
- Ipswich station is just off the map to the South-East.
- The yellow track in the North-West corner is the East Suffolk Line to Saxmundham and Sizewell.
- The black lines diagonally across the map is Ipswich Yard, where wait if required, when coming out or going into the Port of Felixstowe.
I would expect that trains destined for Sizewell will wait in Ipswich Yard before being moved in at night.
These are my further thoughts.
Moving Trains Into And Out Of The Sizewell C Site
A map of the proposed rail layout in the Sizewell C site was published in the February 2019 Edition of Modern Railways showed at least four sidings in the site.
- We can assume that at the beginning of each night, there are.
- Up to four trains in the Sizewell C site, that need to come out of the site.
- Up to four trains in Ipswich Yard, that need to enter the site.
- As each train leaves the Sizewell C site, it creates a free siding for the next incoming train.
The process could be started by the four trains in the Sizewell C site, leaving nose-to-tail like a herd of elephants, but perhaps five minutes apart.
The outgoing trains would then park-up in Ipswich Yard or position themselves to get ready to bring in the next load.
Once all the outgoing trains, were clear of the Sizewell site, the four incoming trains, could trundle into the site.
Note.
- Effectively, there would be a night-time single-track railway exclusively handling freight trains into and out of the Sizewell C site, between the site and Ipswich Yard.
- With more sidings on the Sizewell C site, the limit could be higher than the currently proposed four trains per night in each direction.
- The number of and length of the trains could be adjusted, so that the deliveries of materials to the site, were in an optimal manner, which hopefully would increase the efficiency of the construction.
- There are twenty level crossings between Ipswich and Saxmundham junction and another five between Saxmundham junction.
Did poor delivery performance contribute to cost and time overruns at the more difficult-to-support, rail-isolated Hinckley Point C power station?
Conclusion
I am fairly certain, that it is possible to move four freight trains in and out of the Sizewell site during the night, without doing any major works to the East Suffolk Line between Ipswich and Saxmundham junction.
- Adding extra track at Wickham Market would probably cause major disruption.
- Some level crossings will probably be improved.
But without a full double track between Ipswich and Saxmundham junction, I doubt there could be any increase in passenger services.
State-of-the-Art Bradford Hydrogen Production Facility Approved
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Renewable Connections.
These two paragraphs outline the project.
Bradford Hydrogen Production Facility, a partnership project between Hygen and N-GEN, developed by Renewable Connections, has received consent from Bradford Council. It is anticipated once built, the groundbreaking hydrogen production facility will produce enough hydrogen to remove up to 800 diesel-fuelled buses a day from West Yorkshire roads.
The facility on the old Birkshall gas storage site on Bowling Back Lane in Bradford will produce low carbon hydrogen which can be used to decarbonise vehicles and industry. Businesses and other users in West Yorkshire will be able to use the refuelling facilities on site, with distribution experts Ryze delivering hydrogen to industrial users across the region.
This Google Map shows the area of Bowling Back Lane.
Note.
- The railway running East-West across the middle of the map.
- The red arrow indicates St. James Wholesale Market, which will be the site of the new station.
- Bowling Bank Lane runs East across the nap from the roundabout to the South of the market.
- There appear to be three gas storage tanks to the North of Bowling Back Lane, towards the East of the map.
I suspect that the electrolyser will be built to the West of the current gas storage tanks.
I have a few thoughts.
It Could Be A Large Site
This Google Map shows an enlargement of the area, between Birkshall Lane and the gas storage tanks.
Note.
- Birkshall Lane runs across the South-West corner of the map.
- Several of the businesses in the area seem to concern recycling.
- The site would appear to stretch from the railway in the North to the gas storage tanks in the East and Birkshall Lane in the West.
I can envisage the space around the electrolyser being developed into a business park for businesses that need hydrogen.
Could There Be A Refuelling Facility For Hydrogen Trains?
I believe that in the next ten years, that many freight trains will be hauled by hydrogen-hybrid locomotives.
As the railway through Bradford used to incorporate a third track, I believe that there could be space for a simple facility to fill up hydrogen-powered locomotives.
Are The Gas Tanks Still Used?
The reason I ask this question, is that if they are and still supply Bradford with natural gas, excess hydrogen could be blended up to a low percentage with natural gas to supply Bradford gas users.
It would certainly be a useful capability.
Conclusion
The electrolyser appears to be well-positioned.
Is A Small Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car Possible?
By small car, I’m meaning something like a Ford Fiesta or a Vauxhall Astra.
Consider.
- The car will have a power unit of about 100 KW.
- With four passengers the car would probably weigh about 1500 Kg.
Does A 100 KW Fuel Cell Suitable For A Car Exist?
Intelligent Energy is a British company based in Loughborough.
This is their mission statement on their web site.
Focused on the development of lightweight, high efficiency, hydrogen fuel cell systems.
They also have this product page for a 110 KW fuel cell tailored for automotive use, that weighs 240 Kg.
I suspect if Ford asked for a fuel cell for a hydrogen Fiesta, that Intelligent Energy could provide one.
And I suspect other fuel cell companies could!
How Much Is The Kinetic Energy Of A Car Like This At 100 mph?
Using Omni’s Kinetic Energy Calculator, I get a figure of 422 Wh.
This figure means a battery of perhaps 2 KWh would handle regenerative braking and provide stationary power to get the car started.
Conclusion
From what I have written here, I believe that a hydrogen-powered small car is possible.
Is This The World’s Smallest Hydrogen Car?
I typed “World’s smallest hydrogen car” into Google and found this web page.
This is the first paragraph of the product description.
The smallest hydrogen fuel-cell car ever commercialized. A small-scale model of a hydrogen fuel-cell application. A funny didactical toy for kids and… adults too!
But it only costs € 99 with the VAT included.
For something more useful, this web page details a ride-on hydrogen fuel-cell lawnmower.
When I find products, like these that can be bought on-line, it strengthens my belief, that at some time in the next few years, someone will demonstrate an Issigonis Mini-sized car that will run on hydrogen.
We must all remember, that engineering is the science of the possible, whereas politics is dreams of the impossible.
Stadler’s FLIRT H2 Sets World Record For Hydrogen Powered Train
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
These three paragraphs introduce the article.
Stadler’s FLIRT H2 has set the Guinness World Record for the longest distance achieved by a hydrogen-powered passenger train without refuelling or recharging.
The record attempt began on the evening of 20th March 2024 at the ENSCO test centre in Pueblo, Colorado, and concluded 46 hours later, with the train completing 2803 kilometres on a single tank filling.
A team of engineers from Stadler and ENSCO drove the vehicle in shifts during the attempt.
The journey is about the same distance as the crow flies between Edinburgh and Athens.
Stadler have also published this video.
The train appears to be a a Flirt, like Greater Anglia’s Class 755 trains or Transport for Wales’s Class 231 trains, with a power unit in the middle.
Note.
- The picture shows a Class 231 train at Cardiff Queen Street station.
- A Greater Anglia driver told me, these trains are 125 mph trains.
- The Flirt H2 has only two passenger cars, but UK Flirts are have three or four cars.
Perhaps we should buy a few of these trains for long routes like Liverpool and Norwich or Cardiff and Holyhead!
They would surely be ideal for CrossCountry
Centrica Set For Solar Boost With Acquisition Of Two Projects In South-West England
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.
These three bullet points act as sub-headings.
- Two green energy schemes adding 32MW of solar and battery capacity – enough to power 7,800 homes per year
- Site in Dorset sees construction of a 16MW solar farm and 3MW of battery storage, with a second operational site in Wiltshire adding 13MW of solar capacity
- Investment part of Centrica’s £4bn green-focused investment plan by 2028
These four paragraphs give more details of the Dorset site.
In Dorset, the business has acquired development rights for the construction of a 16MW solar farm and 3MW battery storage plant near Winterborne Whitechurch.
The project breaks ground in early 2024, with the first power exported to the grid in 2025.
The site at Winterborne Whitechurch will be a co-located asset, with the solar farm and battery storage facilities using the same connection point to the grid, helping to maximise the grid connection.
The site is able to power 4,600 homes a year, supported by the battery that can deliver two-hours of energy for a similar number of properties.
But this is no bog-standard wind farm with an attached battery.
This web site introduces Blandford Hill Eco Hub.
This is the second paragraph on the web site’s home page.
The Blandford Hill Eco Hub project consists of an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, a 15 megawatt ground-mounted solar farm and a 3 megawatt battery storage faciality on land south of the A354 at Blandford Hill, Winterborne Whitechurch near Blandford Forum in Dorset. By combining green electricity generation, storage and charging, we’re maximising the green potential with charging for up to 19 EVs at a time.
Note.
- It’s rather a coincidence that the solar farm and battery are almost the same size to those in Centrica’s acquisition.
- The site appears to have been developed by a company called the Pegasus Group, that has used the trade name of Naturalis.
- It does look to me, that Centrica have bought this electric vehicle service station site.
- Centrica get a site to charge nineteen EVs at a time, with its own solar farm and battery.
- The location close to the village means that staff from the village could walk or cycle to work.
- All plans and planning permissions have been thought through and obtained.
- The site even has a dog-walking area, so you can walk the dog, whilst charging your car.
Perhaps, Centrica have a plan to roll out lots of electric vehicle service stations and it was cheaper to buy a innovative prototype, than do the research themselves?
Pegasus Group do seem to design quality projects.
This Google Map shows the location of the site.
Note.
- The village is Winterborne Whitechurch.
- The road going South-West and North-East is the A354 road, which runs between Dorchester in the South-West and Blandford Forum in the North-East.
- The electric vehicle service station appears to be in the large field to the South of the A 354.
It looks like the service station meets the three most important properties of a development; location, location and location.
Could This Site Be Updated To Hydrogen?
Consider.
- Centrica have a substantial interest in a company called HiiROC, who use a technique called plasma electrolysis to extract hydrogen from any hydrocarbon gas.
- The HiiROC process could be used to extract hydrogen from methane, where there is a reliable electricity supply.
- If Winterborne Whitechurch is connected to the gas grid, then I’m certain, that a HiiROC system connected to the solar farm/battery system should be able to fuel passing hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Updates like this could see hydrogen-powered vehicles finally increase their market share.
The Second Site In Wiltshire
This paragraph details the Wiltshire site.
In addition, the business has also acquired the operational Roundponds Solar Farm in Wiltshire. The 13MW solar farm was commissioned in 2015 and is capable of providing energy for around 3,200 homes every year.
This looks like one of those investments, where big companies let small companies get all the permissions and build the asset, before they buy it.
Conclusion
These two projects fit into Centrica’s future development plan.
The last paragraphs, gives a few details of some of Centrica’s new assets.
The Winterborne and Roundponds projects will contribute towards Centrica’s long-term plan to deliver a portfolio of green energy transition assets. They follow the construction of an 18MW solar farm at Codford, Wiltshire which was commissioned in 2023 and a 20MW hydrogen-ready gas-fired peaking plant in Worcestershire. In addition, Centrica is delivering a 50MW battery storage project in Brigg, Lincolnshire, which is nearing completion.
It will be interesting to see what other assets Centrica acquire in the next couple of years.
How Germany Is Dominating Hydrogen Market
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Fuel News.
This is the sub heading.
With 3827 kilometers of pipeline across the country, Germany is blazing a trail through the continent in terms of hydrogen infrastructure growth.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Indeed, plans within the country are so far advanced that Germany is set to become the biggest importer of hydrogen in Europe and the third biggest in the world, behind global leaders China and Japan.
All this leaves the German transport sector in good stead, with a strong infrastructure supporting clean fuel adoption, while the country transitions towards net zero.
So where are the Germans going to get their hydrogen from?
One possibility is the UK.
- The UK has vast amounts of renewable energy.
- We’re only hundreds of kilometres, instead of thousands of kilometres away.
- RWE; the German energy giant has full or partial interests in about 12,3 GW of UK wind farms.
- RWE is building the Pembroke Net Zero Centre which will generate green and blue hydrogen.
Hydrogen could be exported from the UK to Germany by tanker.
Conclusion
Production and exporting of green hydrogen will become significant industry in the UK.
The Anonymous Widower 