The Battery Hybrid Diesel

Class 170 train at Stowmarket station

 

The battery-diesel hybrid, seems a far better bet for regional railways than hydrogen fuel cell electric trains.

With battery-electric trains, the trains can operate on diesel in the country and on electric in urban areas. Also important, battery-diesel hybrid  trains do not need expense of hydrogen fuel as the cost to make hydrogen is fairly high and the pollution caused by the production of hydrogen fuel.

Only Iceland can economically make hydrogen fuel, because of the ample cheap thermal power available.

In today’s world, simplicity is the best policy and the for medium run rail routes, the diesel electric hybrid train seems to be the best and cost effective way for regional railway needs.

Iceland has ample clean thermal power to produce hydrogen fuel.

Iceland has ample clean thermal power to produce hydrogen fuel.

UK’s first 100mph battery-diesel hybrid train enters passenger service

Chiltern Railways will introduce the train on its 40-mile route between London Marylebone and Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

The HybridFLEX train in Chiltern Railways livery (Porterbrook/PA)

The HybridFLEX train in Chiltern Railways livery (Porterbrook/PA) / PA Media
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The UK’s first 100mph battery-diesel hybrid train is entering passenger service to cut carbon emissions and boost air quality.

It was developed by adding a powerful battery to a 20-year-old diesel train to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 25 per cent, according to owner Porterbrook.

The firm added that the two-carriage train, named HybridFLEX, also provides a 75 per cent decrease in noise and a 70 per cent decrease in nitrogen oxide.

 The Government has pledged to remove all diesel-only trains from UK railways by 2040.

Chiltern Railways will introduce the train on its 40-mile route between London Marylebone and Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, on Thursday.

There are plans to use it between the capital and Oxford in the coming months.

The operator previously had a fully diesel fleet.

Chiltern Railways managing director Richard Allan said: “Chiltern Railways is determined to operate a railway that is as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible.

“We have worked hard with our partners to fit a powerful battery power pack underneath a 20-year-old diesel train to make the train cleaner, quieter and quicker.

“We are really proud that this concept train is now carrying customers and look forward to assessing its performance in daily service.”

Porterbrook chief executive Mary Grant said the entry into service of HybridFLEX is “a significant first step” in demonstrating how the trains can slash emissions and boost air quality across the rail network.

Warren East chief executive of Rolls-Royce which produced the battery, described the project as “groundbreaking”.

He said: “In this critical decade of climate action, today’s entry into service of the HybridFLEX train demonstrates what we can achieve through technological innovation and agile collaboration.

“This smart piece of engineering enables the acceleration of the UK Government ambition to remove all diesel-only trains from the network by 2040, making rail journeys quieter, cleaner and faster.”

Comments

2 Responses to “The Battery Hybrid Diesel”
  1. Haveacow says:

    I disagree, hydrogen has better future. The reason why is I use to work in submarines in the Royal Canadian Navy and hydrogen fuel cells generally produce a better result. The navies call this Air Independent Propulsion. We are essentially using hydrogen fuel cells to recharge a submarine’s battery instead of having to use a diesel motor and a snorkeling tube, which forces subs to operate at dangerously shallow depths, while making a horrible amount of noise.

    You see, most navies that operate submarines will never, operate nuclear powered subs they just cost way too much too build, operate and maintain, so many schemes over the years were developed to increase battery life and efficiency of conventional powered subs. The difference we weren’t planning to use Hydrogen gas but solidified, room temperature hydrogen, mated and mounted to a film like material. This technology has existed since 1990’s but was classified need to know by every N.A.T.O. country.

    Unfortunately, the same process that allows you to mount molecular room temperature hydrogen on a plastic film can be used to create dangerously powerful rocket fuel or by association, a really cheap way to make very powerful explosives. This technology was only declassified in the U.S. in 2017. The main advantage you can carry your fuel like a briefcase and insert it like a VHS videotape into a VCR and eject it just as easily.

    It’s lighter and less polluting than traditional diesel-battery systems and just as efficient. It’s main issue is your still making an inefficient electric vehicle that has a limited power-work characteristics. Conventional electric trains get by this by dumping huge quantities of electric current from overhead wires into an electric motor to compensate for the lack of mobile power per kilowatt .

  2. zweisystem says:

    I guess old Zwei was reading old news because what you have said is all new to me.

    But here we are, technology is changing so fast that what was once is not anymore!

    I do know that fuel cells were extremely important for modern submarines and some fuel cell subs can stay submersed for weeks on end. Then there is the Swedish Gotland class, which I think Canada should consider. But I digress.

    I think the point I was trying to make is that maybe it is better to go with Diesel-Battery hybrids for now and later progress to Hydrogen powered trains, but from recent news vis a vis the Expo line extension, I think that decision is a long way off.

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