The FCH2RAIL Project: A Demonstration of a Modular Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Pack

Abstract

In this paper, the Horizon 2020 project FCH2RAIL is outlined. The project aims to develop a bi-modal propulsion system, which combines an overhead catenary powertrain and a hydrogen fuel cell battery electric hybrid system to enable operation on tracks with mixed electrification. A key element is the fuel cell hybrid power pack and its modularity. To enable a wide range of applications, a modularity definition process in terms of installed fuel cell power and battery size is carried out. Therefore, a methodology was developed to derive generic and well-suited fuel cell and battery block sizes. Hereby, a work flow is set up, which incorporates a longitudinal vehicle dynamic simulation and a fuel cell hybrid propulsion system model. Using statistical analysis, required block sizes in terms of power and energy content of the main powertrain components are derived. Afterwards, the evaluated component block size ranges are compared to market-available components. The results obtained with the developed algorithms were 17 kWh for the smallest defined battery block and 47 kW for the fuel cell block. These dimensions are well-covered by market-available components, which demonstrates the applicability of the proposed methodology.