Design and modeling of power system for a fuel cell hybrid switcher locomotive

This paper discusses the design and modeling of power system for a fuel cell hybrid locomotive. Different types of fuel cells for appropriate application to locomotives were compared, fuel cell and auxiliary storage devices were modeled, and a control strategy for the overall system was developed in this paper. By using the proposed control strategy, the power control system regulates the sharing of power demand between fuel cell and auxiliary storage units including batteries and ultracapacitors. Experimental data of the power duty cycle of a typical switcher locomotive is analyzed. The proposed control system is tested using the experimental data. Results show that the control system is able to maintain output voltage from different power sources within a certain range, keep the state of charge of the batteries within an optimal range and meet power demand of the locomotive at a high efficiency.