Fuel Cell–Battery Hybrid Trains for Non-Electrified Lines: A Dynamic Simulation Approach

Giuliano Agati, Domenico Borello (), Alessandro Ruvio and Paolo Venturini
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Giuliano Agati: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Domenico Borello: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Alessandro Ruvio: Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Paolo Venturini: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 20, 1-32

Abstract: Hydrogen-powered hybrid trains equipped with fuel cells (FC) and batteries represent a promising alternative to diesel traction on non-electrified railway lines and have significant potential to support modal shifts toward more sustainable transport systems. This study presents the development of a flexible MATLAB-based tool for the dynamic simulation of fuel cell–battery hybrid powertrains. The model integrates train dynamics, rule-based energy management, system efficiencies, and component degradation, enabling both energy and cost analyses over the vehicle’s lifetime. The objective is to assess the techno-economic performance of different powertrain configurations. Sensitivity analyses were carried out by varying two sizing parameters: the nominal power of the fuel cell (parameter m ) and the total battery capacity (parameter n ), across multiple real-world railway routes. Results show a slight reduction in lifecycle costs as m increases (5.1 €/km for m = 0.50) mainly due to a lower FC degradation. Conversely, increasing battery capacity ( n ) lowers costs by reducing cycling stress for both battery and FC, from 5.3 €/km ( n = 0.10) to 4.5 €/km ( n = 0.20). In general, lowest values of m and n provide unviable solutions as the battery discharges completely before the end of the journey. The study highlights the critical impact of the operational profile: for a fixed powertrain configuration ( m = 0.45, n = 0.20), the specific cost dramatically increases from 4.44 €/km on a long, flat route to 15.8 €/km on a hilly line and up to 76.7 €/km on a mountainous route, primarily due to severe fuel cell degradation under transient loads. These findings demonstrate that an “all-purpose” train sizing approach is inadequate, confirming the necessity of route-specific powertrain optimization to balance techno-economic performance.

Keywords: decarbonization; sustainable mobility; railways; hydrogen trains; battery–fuel cell powertrain; hydrogen hybrid systems; energy management system; sizing sensitivity analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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