First Hybrid Train Unveiled in Kansas

Jul 1st 2009

BNSF Railway groundsman Shawn Semple watches the tracks as he rides the Hydrogen Hybrid Engine, the he nation's first hydrogen-powered fuel cell locomotive, Monday at the BNSF shops in Topeka.

Fuel cells are supposed to be the future of power, but they've got a long way to go before they're mainstream. Companies have been tossing them in cars (so many cars), planes, cell phones, even MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices). So where is this supposedly game-changing technology showing up next? Well, if you're a locomotive-loving Kansas town with a healthy Department of Defense investment, the answer is obvious: trains.

BNSF Railway Co. and Vehicle Projects Inc. unveiled the world's first hydrogen fuel cell-powered locomotive in Topeka on Monday. The prototype ferried Kansan Senator Sam Brownback up and down the tracks in the BNSF rail yard in its maiden voyage before being shipped out to Colorado for further testing, and eventually will land in California for a feasibility study.
The Department of Defense is interested in the new locomotive technology not just because it hauls huge loads (without releasing greenhouse gases) but also for its ability to act as a backup generator to provide power for disaster relief efforts.

While it's exciting to see fuel cells creeping forward, it's sure to be years before they arrive in any practical capacity. [From: Kansas City Star]

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

What is a fuel cell?

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as its by-product. As long as fuel (hydrogen and oxygen) is supplied, the fuel cell will continue to generate power.

How are fuel cells powered?

The oxygen used by a fuel cell comes from the air. The hydrogen must be provided to the fuel cell. Currently, BNSF is considering the use of metal hydride as the hydrogen source.

How do fuel cells power a locomotive?

Hydrogen is used by an on-board fuel cell power module. The fuel cell power module produces electricity that is either stored in the batteries or directly fed to the chopper board. The electricity from the batteries or fuel cell is throttled by the chopper board in the electrical cabinet. The throttled electricity is delivered to the traction motors.

What are the benefits of fuel cells?

Since fuel cells convert fuel to energy via an electrochemical process, not combustion, the process is clean (no emissions), quiet and efficient - two to three times more efficient than fuel burning. For locomotives, fuel cells provide a higher starting torque and overload capacity than battery power.

SOURCE: BNSF Railway