Work

Fuel Cell Railway Tower Car: Efficiency, Cost, and Performance Analysis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Environmental concerns are driving the adoption of alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen fuel cells (FCs), in existing diesel-electric railway tower cars (DERTC). An FC-powered railway tower car (FCRTC) also requires another resource, such as a battery energy storage system (BESS), to meet transient power demand. This article first presents an analysis of the emissions, efficiency, and cost of an FC-powered railway tower car (FCRTC) in comparison with a DERTC. While the studied DERTC emits 39.3 tonnes of CO2 annually, the FCRTC achieves nearly zero tailpipe CO2 emissions. The DERTC achieves efficiency in the range of 23.2%–35.7%, whereas the FCRTC achieves efficiency in the range of 33.8%–84.9% depending on the mode of operation. In an FCRTC, the average running cost reduces by 32.35–58.82% compared to a DERTC at rated speed. This article then presents different modes of operation of an FCRTC based on the practical operating conditions. Furthermore, detailed mathematical modelling and control systems design are performed for all three components: the FC, BESS, and traction motor converters. The proposed FCRTC system is validated through CHIL real-time simulations using dSPACE 1104 and OPAL-RT 5600 on a 222 kW full-rated powertrain. Furthermore, a 1 kW laboratory-scale prototype of the proposed FCRTC powertrain is developed to experimentally validate all operating modes. The results demonstrate the performance of the proposed FCRTC under several operating conditions.

Source: IEEE Access

DOI: 10.1109/access.2026.3729502