Airbus, DLR order Hydrogenics modules for aerospace testing

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 64 KB
• Volume: 2008
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1464-2859
• DOI: 10.1016/s1464-2859(08)70048-8

✦ Synopsis

cell running on hydrogen. The companies say it could serve as a mobile backup power source for military and civilian disaster relief efforts. The switch locomotive is currently under development, and field testing is scheduled to begin later this year.

'While it is not a proven technology and the project is still in its infancy, we believe investments like the fuel cell switch locomotive are important for the advancement of new technology,' says Craig Hill, vice president for BNSF Mechanical and Value Engineering.

The 127 tonne fuel cell-hybrid switcher locomotive will be derived from a commercially available diesel-battery hybrid switcher with a 200 kW diesel prime mover, by replacing its diesel generator with a 250 kW PEM fuel cell power plant based on that used in the Daimler Citaro fuel cell transit bus. The 250 kW fuel cell power plant will comprise two 125 kW power building blocks. The electrically driven rear traction-motor cooling fan and brake air compressor of the locomotive will remain in place beside the prime mover.

Vehicle Projects serves heavy industry and transportation by developing and demonstrating prototype fuel cell vehicles that improve productivity, worker health and safety, environmental quality, or energy efficiency and security. Its core activities are project conception and fund-raising, vehicle engineering design, and consortium organization and management.