Hydrogen trains now

[Pudsey Bear]

China Unveils the World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Urban Train​

Published on: May 22, 2023
The train’s only by-product is water.


At an event at the 2023 China Brand Day in Shanghai, the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation unveiled the world’s first hydrogen-powered urban train. The train is composed of four cars and can reach speeds of up to 99 miles per hour.

China releases world’s first hydrogen-powered urban train; Photo Credit: CGTN

Hydrogen-Powered Urban Train​

The train uses a combination of hydrogen fuel cells and supercapacitors as an energy source; thanks to the built-in hydrogen power system, the train can travel up to 373 miles on a single charge. An electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen takes place in the fuel cell, producing only water as a by-product.
The vehicle is equipped with the highest level of autonomy, meaning it can automatically wake up, start and stop, and return to the depot. To ensure safe driving, it uses 5G high-capacity vehicle-to-ground communication technology and big data analysis.
The hydrogen-powered train also includes multiple intelligent detection systems with thousands of sensors. According to the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, “The systems can automatically monitor, diagnose and protect the hydrogen storage system and hydrogen fuel cell system to ensure their safety and reliability during driving.”
This train is not only the world’s first hydrogen-powered urban train but also the fastest hydrogen train to date. Germany launched the first hydrogen-powered passenger trains in 2022 with the Coradia iLint. The fourteen hydrogen trains have a range of 621 miles, traveling at a maximum speed of 87 mph. Unlike China, these trains travel through a rural environment.

A model of the hydrogen-powered urban train at the China Brand Day in Shanghai, May 12, 2023; Photo Credit: CGTN

Hydrogen as Fuel​

Using hydrogen as a fuel has been an increasingly popular clean energy solution around the world because of hydrogen’s sustainability, affordability, and abundance.
Unlike fossil fuels, hydrogen does not produce harmful pollutants or greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide or sulphur dioxide. The main by-products of hydrogen combustion are heat and water. Because hydrogen can be produced from water through electrolysis using renewable energy, it is also abundant. And, according to PWC, the cost of green hydrogen will drop by 50 percent by 2030.
Along with hydrogen-powered trains, hydrogen is being used as fuel in vehicles. The use of fuel-cell cars, such as the Toyota Mirai, has been increasing. In China alone, 50,000 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are expected to be on the road by 2025. Further developments have also been made in hydrogen-powered planes, like Destinus’ hypersonic hydrogen-powered passenger jet.

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

Landrover have been testing hydrogen car for 2 years driving around Birmingham.
With no problem.
We all know electric cars is not the answer..

 

[Wully]

Japans domestic market is really moving big style towards hydrogen they are years ahead of everyone else.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Remember the days when all they did was copy others.

 

[runnach]

Remember the days when all they did was copy others.

They still do.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Not so much these days.

 

[maingate]

Not so much these days.

While Russia tries to spy on State secrets, China has been spying on high tech companies.

Chinese professor in US found guilty over economic spying

Zhang Hao was accused of conspiring to steal and sell US secrets to the Chinese government and military through a shell company in the Cayman Islands.

www.scmp.com

Industrial espionage: How China sneaks out America's technology secrets

The true extent of commercial spying is unknown but experts say it is "pervasive".

www.bbc.co.uk

There are lots of cases if you look online.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

China has a rep for spying but the OP is about Japanese tech.

 

[andyjanet]

Meanwhile here in Blighty
We have


HS2


Or


Perhaps only London and Birmingham

 

[harrytherid]

While Russia tries to spy on State secrets, China has been spying on high tech companies.

Chinese professor in US found guilty over economic spying

Zhang Hao was accused of conspiring to steal and sell US secrets to the Chinese government and military through a shell company in the Cayman Islands.

www.scmp.com

Industrial espionage: How China sneaks out America's technology secrets

The true extent of commercial spying is unknown but experts say it is "pervasive".

www.bbc.co.uk

There are lots of cases if you look online.

It looks to me that people like Dyson assist China to do just that for personal gain. And if the hydrogen is produced by Electrolysis produced by renewable sources and no fossil fuels used to compress and transport it, great. Well done them. I have long advocated it, not that anyone has taken notice. Get wind turbines to create it and then use it to power the grid when the wind does not blow and forget fusion which costs so much to develop, put that cost into developing superconductors to carry that power, much better.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I don't think we should dismiss fusion just yet, it could prove our saviour when the gas and oil run out or we run out of coal when they open the mines again and they will.

 

[trevskoda]

WE are catching up here.

 

[maingate]

I don't think we should dismiss fusion just yet, it could prove our saviour when the gas and oil run out or we run out of coal when they open the mines again and they will.

300 years of coal reserves in the UK. But who will mine it?

Will snowflakes mind getting dirty?

 

[Pudsey Bear]

300 years of coal reserves in the UK. But who will mine it?

Will snowflakes mind getting dirty?

if it comes to it and they want to be warm and keep the lights on they won't have a choice.

 

[Drew]

98% on the hydrogen produce is made from natural gas, a fossil fuel. So not so environmentally sustainable.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

98% on the hydrogen produce is made from natural gas, a fossil fuel. So not so environmentally sustainable.

Where are you getting the 98% figure from Drew?

 

[trevskoda]

98% on the hydrogen produce is made from natural gas, a fossil fuel. So not so environmentally sustainable.

Correct, it takes a lot of fuel to run the gear to extract the hydrogen, this outways its practical use, maybe solar might help with free electric, but then again power required to make the panels and gear, no easy solution as yet.

 

[Drew]

What is hydrogen, and can it really become a climate change solution?

Hydrogen is getting a lot of attention as the EPA prepares to propose new emissions rules for power plants. But it has a problem: almost all of it used today is made from fossil fuels.

theconversation.com

Add blue and turquoise to the 95% grey hydrogen production.

 

[Drew]

Also bear in mind that there are currently very few places to refuel, hydrogen gas is stored in the vehicle at 10000psi

 

[Drew]

Also bear in mind that there are currently very few places to refuel. Hydrogen gas is stored in the vehicle at 5000 - 10000psi, liquid at - 252.8⁰c which is impractical.

An ICE hydrogen vehicle could store enough fuel in gas form for a range of about 60 miles without impinging on space in the vehicle.

The current fuel cell vehicles in production have a better range but with so few options for refueling they are not practical