More power...
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/cp-rail-significantly-expand-hydrogen-train-project-155809528.html
The question becomes where is the hydrogen coming from - how is it being made?
Sources include natural gas, electrolosys, renewable liquid (ie, ethanol) reforming, and fermentation.
Electrolysis of ammonia in waste water consumes just 1.55 kWh of electrical energy to produce 1 kg of hydrogen. When used as part of a fuel cell, 1 kg of hydrogen can produce 33 kWh of electrical energy.
I worked with hydrogen gas generators in the military - ammonia was run through a retort (heated) where it reacted with platinum (IIRC) to make hydrogen. But that was in weather balloon quantities, not filling multi-thousand gallon tanks.
So, maybe not an entirely bad idea - but there will be the capital cost of handling it as well.
And how far will that 33 kWh take a train?
Seeds of discussion.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
How many gallons of Hydrogen would it take to lift a GEVO off the rails?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I have been following the ammonia boondoggle since it started appearing in those mysterious teaser presentations on get-rich-quick investment sites.
There are reasons ammonia is a poor approach to zero-carbon transportation. Some of them are reasons why ammonia is not a well-utilized refrigerant.
GM and hydrogen article. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/gm-targets-hydrogen-powered-generators-190630081.html
What could a potential hydrogen supplier do? Could the supplier promise costs to equal the diesel per KWH? Then when hydrogen consumers are firmly commited with capital investment equipment ---- OOPS costs are going to be "slightly" higher. Slightly being a slippery word.
Seems like I recall seeing fuel cell power sources for fixed railroad facilities. They're in aluminum housings like signal boxes, etc, so unless you "read the label" you're not going to know what they are.
The first unit, CP 1001 (formerly SD40-2F 9024) appears to be complete and capable of moving under its own power.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cVYx3x7VXXE
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Will be interesting how these units do in field testing. CN is already testing a battery locomotive.
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