Energy efficiency evaluation of fuel cells and batteries hybrid railway test vehicles

Abstract

Fuel cells are currently receiving attention for their potential to clean and highly efficient power-supply systems. The authors have been developing a new type of fuel cellpowered railway vehicle to replace conventional diesel vehicles in non-electrified sections. In this work, a hybrid system using fuel cells and batteries was installed on test vehicles, which were then subjected to running tests on a test track. This paper describes the development of fuel cells and batteries hybrid test vehicles and the evaluation of this hybrid system's energy efficiency and fuel consumption rate.