Feasibility analysis for solid oxide fuel cells as a power source for railroad road locomotives

The study presented here considers the on-board gasification of biodiesel and power generation using solid oxide fuel cells for power a railroad locomotive of the long-haul or “road” variety. Equipment sizes, efficiencies, and life cycle costs under a variety of scenarios are calculated with the objective of determining the feasibility of this type of power system when compared with the standard internal combustion engine/generator power systems currently in-use. The analysis concludes that SOFC based locomotives using on-board gasified biodiesel are technically feasible. However, economic justification is more difficult. While cost of fuel is the dominant overall cost of the locomotive power plant over its life cycle the efficiency of the SOFC is not high enough to offset its higher capital cost under most scenarios. This could significantly change under regulatory standards that may dramatically increase the operating costs or capital costs of internal combustion engines for rail use in the future.