This article concerns the rationale, history, principal issues, and potential of fuel cell-powered rail vehicles. Issues include fuel cell type, hydrogen storage, special factors affecting fuel cell rail, and the question of which rail applications are appropriate for hybrid powertrains. It concludes with a brief discussion of a supersonic concept vehicle, a cross between a train and an airplane that operates in a hydrogen-filled tube and levitates on a gas film, thereby overcoming an inherent efficiency limitation of aircraft. . | Rail Vehicles Fuel Cells AR Miller Vehicle Projects Inc. and Supersonic Tube Vehicle LLC Golden CO USA 2009 Elsevier . All rights reserved. Introduction This article concerns the rationale history principal issues and potential of fuel cell-powered rail vehicles. Issues include fuel cell type hydrogen storage special factors affecting fuel cell rail and the question of which rail applications are appropriate for hybrid powertrains. It concludes with a brief discussion of a supersonic concept vehicle a cross between a train and an airplane that operates in a hydrogen-filled tube and levitates on a gas film thereby overcoming an inherent efficiency limitation of aircraft. Why Fuel Cell Rail Carbon dioxide emissions and energy security are related issues affecting the rail industry and transportation sector as a whole. They are related by the fact that in many nations nearly 100 of the energy for the transport sector is based on oil and oil is an insecure primary energy and the principal source of carbon dioxide emissions. World oil reserves are diminishing prices have recently reached unprecedented heights and volatility and political instability threatens supply disruptions. A consensus has been reached that the burning of fossil fuels and consequent atmospheric release of waste carbon dioxide is a significant factor in global climate change. The greenhouse gas effect is the likely cause of melting of the polar ice caps and the increased severity of storms. Catenary-electric and diesel-electric are the two dominant conventional types of locomotive and the former superficially appears to be a solution to both problems. However a factor potentially affecting both energy security and carbon dioxide emissions is energy efficiency traction work divided by chemical energy of the fuel because a more efficient locomotive uses less energy and for most locomotives burns less oil. When viewed as only one component of a distributed machine that includes an .
