How India’s first hydrogen-powered train works | Explained
The story so far: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off India’s first Hydrogen powered train running between an 89-km stretch of Jind and Sonipat
The story so far: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off India’s first Hydrogen powered train running between an 89-km stretch of Jind and Sonipat in Haryana on July 17. “This milestone marks the latest chapter in the evolution of how Indian Railways from coal and steam to cleaner, more sustainable sources of energy,” Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw stated in a media interaction earlier this week. What is a Hydrogen-powered train? India’s First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Train is a ten-coach train set with capacity to carry around 2,600 passengers. The train generates its own electricity onboard using hydrogen, the cleanest fuel known. Unlike conventional electric trains that draw power from overhead lines, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trainset generates electricity onboard through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water vapour as its only by-product. The train is run on operational speed of 75 kmph on the Jind–Sonipat section and a design speed of 110 kmph. Unlike conventional diesel locomotives that burn fuel to generate mechanical power, a hydrogen train carries a small power plant onboard in the form of a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Hydrogen stored in the train’s cylinders combines with oxygen from the surrounding air inside the fuel cell, producing electricity that powers the traction motors and turns the wheels. The only direct by-products of this electrochemical reaction are water vapour and heat.
There is no combustion, no smoke and no tailpipe carbon emissions. The train consists of two Hydrogen Driving Power Cars (DPCs) and eight Trailer Coaches (TCs). Each DPC houses fuel cells, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and hydrogen storage cylinders that work together to provide traction power, while ensuring reliable operation under varying operating conditions. The two power cars, one at each end, produce 1,200 kW (1600 hp) of power per DPC, together enough to push the entire train up to 110 km per hour. Where does the Hydrogen to fuel the train set come from? The dedicated hydrogen storage, compression and dispensing facility established at Jind will support refuelling operations, Indian Railways has stated. Just like a petrol pump or a CNG station, the train needs a place to refuel. Firstly, hydrogen is produced on site through electrolysis, in which water is split into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity at the green hydrogen plant, and is then stored safely in dedicated storage tanks. In the second step, the hydrogen is compressed to 500 bar, enabling a larger quantity to be stored in a smaller volume. Finally, it is dispensed through two independent hydrogen dispensers at a regulated pressure of 350 bar, allowing both Hydrogen Driving Power Cars to be refuelled simultaneously and reducing turnaround time. The facility stores nearly 3,000 kg of hydrogen at a time, sufficient to support regular operations of the train set, and its storage and supply system has been approved by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).
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