Class 769 Flex In Action
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Engineer.
The article describes a ride in a Class 769 train, which is under test on the Grand Central Railway.
The article is very comprehensive, so if you want information on the progress of these trains, you ought to read the article.
One overall impression, I received, was that the train is a lot quieter, than the author expected.
This was the last sentence.
That said, based on the Flex experience, this writer would rather travel on a Class 769 than on a Class 150.
I can’t wait to have a ride, when they enter service in the New Year.
The article also gives a summary of Porterbrook’s various FLEX projects, which are taking redundant, but very serviceable electric-trains and converting them into self-powered trains needed on the UK rail network.
The article also says this about the future of the Class 319 trains.
There are 86 Class 319 four-car units, all of which were made redundant from the Thameslink route. Porterbrook has been successful in placing approximately 45 units for further use – 32 for Northern (eight of which will be converted to Flex specification) and 13 units with West Midlands Trains. In addition, there are Flex orders for five units for Wales, 19 units for Great Western Railway and one for the University of Birmingham (the HydroFLEX). This makes a grand total of 71 of the 86 units, leaving 15 still to find new homes.
I believe that Porterbrook’s reaction to finding that they had a fleet of trains for some of which, there were no obvious uses has been admirable. But also very pragmatic and hopefully financially rewarding in the long-term.
Looking back to the days of British Rail, these trains would probably have been sent to the scrapyard.
Ballard Receives Order From Porterbrook for Fuel Cell Module to Power UK HydroFLEX Train
The title of this post is the same as this article on Cision.
The article says that the copy has been provided by Ballard.
This is the first paragraph.
VANCOUVER and DERBY, U.K., Dec. 13, 2018 /CNW/ – Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) today announced that it has received a purchase order from Porterbrook Leasing Company Limited (“Porterbrook”; http://www.porterbrook.co.uk), a leading participant in the rail leasing market, for an FCveloCity®-HD fuel cell module and related support to power a HydroFLEX train in the U.K.
The article says this about the HydroFLEX train.
The HydroFLEX will be the U.K.’s first fully sized hydrogen demonstrator train. It will showcase how hydrogen can be used to power a train that retains the ability to operate across existing electric routes, on either 3rd rail or 25kV overhead power. Testing and demonstration runs are planned for the summer of 2019 at RailLive, which will take place at Long Marston in Warwickshire.
That sounds like it could be a date for my diary.
Strictly A Demonstrator
In this article on Rail Engineer, which is entitled Hydroflex – The Next Iteration Of The Flex Concept,there is a section entitled Strictly A Demonstrator, from which this was taken.
In response to Rail Engineer’s questions, BCRRE said that the demonstrator version focuses on delivering an electric/hydrogen bi-mode to UK gauge.
So the HydroFLEX is more about research., which I believe is a good route.
- My feelings on seeing the Alstom Coradia iLint in Germany, was that they had launched too early!
- Getting a University to run a demonstrator might show up the smaller problems associated with a complex project.
- Birmingham University may also have access to better mathematics and computing.
- The interior of the train can be used for test equipment and hydrogen tanks.
I also suspect that a well-designed demonstrator could help with the repurposing of Porterbrook’s extensive fleet, by doing appropriate research.
The Fuel Cell
The Ballard fuel cell is a HD variant of their FCveloCity family.
This page on the Ballard web site is the data sheet.
- The fuel cells come in three sizes 60, 85 and 100 kW
- The largest fuel cell would appear to be around 1.2 m x 1 m x 0.5 m and weigh around 400 Kg.
- The fuel cell has an associated cooling subsystem, that can provide heat for the train.
It would appear that mounting the fuel cell under the train floor would be a feasible proposition. I would assume that the cell would be placed under one of the driver cars.
If you search the Internet, you’ll find there is a lot of fuel cell companies out there innovating like crazy and fighting for market share.
I don’t think there will be any problem with the fuel cell in the HydroFLEX train.
The Electrical System
The electrical system of the Class 319 train is simple.
- There is a 750 VDC busbar, which connects to all four cars.
- The busbar is fed by the 25 KVAC overhead or 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- One of the middle cars has the pantograph and the other has four 247.5 kW traction motors, which power the whole train.
- There is no regenerative braking capability.
- The two driver cars are only differentiated, by the seats installe by the operator.
It looks to me that this was a sensible piece of 1980s engineering by British Rail to create a low-cost dual-voltage train.
I do wonder, if the originator of this system is still hale and hearty. I suspect they are, as they certainly know how to design for a long life.
When Porterbrook commissioned the Class 769 train, the two diesel generators under the driver cars were connected into this busbar.
They didn’t add any energy storage to the train, although as I said in Brush Traction Signs Contract With Skeleton Technologies For Modules For Class 769 Trains, they have added SkelStart capacitors to start the diesel generators.
Effectively, the Class 769 train is an electric or diesel train, just like the Class 319 train is an overhead or third-rail electrificsation train.
Will the fuel cell of the HydroFLEX train be connected to the electrical system of the train in the same way?
Or will energy storage, be added to the drive train?
In a more advanced design, batteries or capacitors could be in the motored car.
- They would be charged from the busbar.
- They would power the traction motors.
If the traction motors, were to be changed to modern ones, that could perform regenerative braking, then this energy could be used to recharge the battery.
The Fuel Tank
I suspect as the train is for research, that a standard off-the-shelf hydrogen tank will be used.
This page on the Fuel Cells And Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, is entitled Improved Hydrogen Tanks For Fuel Cell Cars Of The Future.
This is the first paragraph.
The EU funded COPERNIC project, supported by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), succeeded in improving the quality of materials and design of hydrogen storage tanks for cars. It also made the manufacturing of these tanks more cost efficient, helping to make hydrogen cars a more viable and competitive option.
I think it is highly likely, that a well-designed hydrogen tank, could probably share the space under the driver car with the fuel cell.
If it can’t then as it’s a research project a few seats can be taken out.
The Anonymous Widower 