Hydrogen Use for Sustainable Railway Mobility

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  • Author
    Dr. Giuliano Agati
  • Level
    Advanced
  • Study time
    ~ 20 minutes
  • Videos
    1
  • Contact
    giuliano.agati@uniroma1.it

Module Description

The railway sector is largely electrified, a development that has improved efficiency and reduced emissions. However, some non-electrified lines remain, often serving lower-traffic routes or areas that are difficult to electrify due to geographical or financial constraints. In light of the need to decarbonize the transport sector, there are discussions around closing these lines to eliminate services, as maintaining them can be costly and environmentally inefficient. One potential solution to this issue is the use of battery-powered trains. These trains could run on existing non-electrified tracks, avoiding the need for expensive infrastructure changes. However, the range of battery-powered trains is limited, making them suitable only for shorter tracks where the energy demands are lower.
For longer, more demanding routes, hybrid trains that combine fuel cells and batteries provide a promising solution. The fuel cells would increase the train’s autonomy, allowing it to run over longer distances without relying on external power sources. This approach could help ensure that all rail lines remain operational, regardless of electrification. To achieve cost and weight reductions in these hybrid systems, the design of the train must be optimized based on the characteristics of each line, ensuring that the vehicle's power and energy needs are met efficiently. Additionally, an optimized energy management strategy is essential to ensure that the energy used by the train is managed efficiently, maximizing the system's overall performance.
This video analyses how different levels of hybridization and energy management strategies affect energy consumption, aiming to provide insights into optimizing hybrid train operations on non-electrified railway lines. By understanding these dynamics, the railway sector can advance towards a more sustainable, decarbonized future, ensuring the continued operation of essential services while reducing their environmental impact.

 Learning Outcomes

  • Basic knowledge of the current state of electrification in the railway sector and the challenges of decarbonizing non-electrified lines.
  • Understanding the principles and applications of hybrid fuel cell-battery trains as sustainable mobility solutions and optimization techniques for powertrain sizing.
created by

Dr. Giuliano Agati

Giuliano Agati is Mechanical Engineer working as a Research Associate in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Sapienza University of Rome. His research expertise encompasses a wide range of topics related to energy transition and to the numerical modelling of energy systems, from computational fluid dynamics to sustainable mobility. Throughout his career, he has delved into large number of topics related to CFD simulations, from the modelling of multiphase flows in fluid machinery (deposition, long-term erosion prediction) to multiphysics problems and thermo-fluid analyses of innovative vertical farming systems. In the last years, his work has focused on promoting sustainability and renewable energy solutions, with a strong focus on the mobility sector. His research includes developing and optimizing hybrid traction systems for heavy and light transportation, eventually integrating hydrogen fuel cell and battery technologies to drive the transition toward cleaner energy.