May 17, 2011
Report

FVB Energy Inc. Technical Assistance Project

Abstract

The request made by FVB asked for advice and analysis regarding the value of recapturing the braking energy of trains operating on electric light rail transit systems. A specific request was to evaluate the concept of generating hydrogen by electrolysis. The hydrogen would, in turn, power fuel cells that could supply electric energy back into the system for train propulsion or, possibly, also to the grid. To allow quantitative assessment of the potential resource, analysis focused on operations of the SoundTransit light rail system in Seattle, Washington. An initial finding was that the full cycle efficiency of producing hydrogen as the medium for capturing and reusing train braking energy was quite low (

Revised: May 20, 2011 | Published: May 17, 2011

Citation

DeSteese J.G. 2011. FVB Energy Inc. Technical Assistance Project Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.